CAN 2025: The reigning champion’s status remains hard to bear

10.01.26 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt

3

:

Ivory Coast

2

The curse of the defending champion at the Africa Cup of Nations continues to claim its victims. In this 35th edition held in Morocco, it was Ivory Coast that paid the price.

Last night, Ivory Coast, the champions of the previous tournament on home soil, were knocked out as early as the quarter-finals of CAN 2025 by Egypt (2-3). This result only strengthens the notion that holding the title in this competition carries little weight. It's worth recalling that since Egypt’s historic three consecutive trophies (2006, 2008, 2010), no defending champion has managed to progress past the quarter-finals in the following tournament.

During this period, there have been major disappointments (Egypt failing to qualify in 2012, Nigeria in 2015), uninspiring campaigns (group stage exits for Zambia in 2013, Ivory Coast in 2017, and Algeria in 2021), and insignificant runs (round of 16 for Cameroon in 2019 and Senegal in 2023). So, the Ivorians’ quarter-final berth stands as the best performance by a defending champion since 2010.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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Egypt

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations