The final of Angola 2010 was held in Luanda on 31 January 2010.
But how many know the history of this exciting football tournament?
The Africa Cup of Nations is also called the African Nations Cup (ANC). It is the main international association football competition in Africa.
In 1956 the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was created during the third FIFA congress in Lisbon. The first Africa Cup of Nations took place in Khartoum, Sudan a year later, in 1957.
There was no qualification for this tournament.
There were only three participating nations: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. South Africa was disqualified because it refused to send a multi-racial team to the competition.
Since 1968, it has been held every two years.
Since 1957, the tournament has grown and it became necessary to hold a qualifying tournament. The number of participants in the final tournament reached 16. Since then the sixteen teams are drawn into four groups of four teams each, with the top two teams of each group advancing to the final competitions.
Egyptian records in 2010
Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup's history. It has won the tournament a record seven times. Ghana and Cameroon have won four titles each.
On 31 January 2010, Egypt set a new African record. It has not been defeated for 19 consecutive Cup of Nations matches, since a 2-1 loss against Algeria in Tunisia in 2004, and has won a record of 9 consecutive matches.
Egypt also set another record on that day: it became the first African Cup nation to win three consecutive cups. It joined Mexico, Argentina, and Iran who have won their continent cup three times in a row.
Angola 2010: Tragedy and Triumph
Egypt's historic triumph in Luanda on 31 January 2010 was a great way to end the tournament, which had been very difficult this year.
Egypt’s performance was magnificent - but in the end Angola 2010 will be remembered for more than just football.
Before it had started, Angola 2010 suffered a terrible attack. A rebel faction attacked the Togo team as they travelled. Three people were killed and many injuried. The team withdrew.
After this tragic event , football did return to the centre stage with great matches which caught the imagination.
Angola's 4-4 draw with Mali and Malawi's fabulous 3-0 win over World Cup qualifiers Algeria particularly were the most impressive moments of the tournament.
However, CAF decided to ban Togo for the next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments the day before the final. So spectators’ thoughts returned to what happened at the beginning of the competition.
African football: a game for independence
Football was never simply a game in Africa. It arrived in the continent in the mid 19th century , brought by European priests, sailors, soldiers and missionaries.
Soon it became very important for self -organisation and even resistance. From Algeria to Ghana, Zambia and beyond, playing this sport became essential to nation building against the colonialist countries.
Ghana's first leader Kwame Nkrumah thought football was an essential tool to build a Pan African identity. The Black Stars brought glory and attention to the new nation.
(Adapted for educational purposes from en.wikipedia.org and news.bbc.co.uk)
(Photo from www.vtsoccer.org)
Reading Comprehension Exercise
Read the text above, then answer the following questions: