10 February 2006 - The Pharoahs Reign Again

On 10 February 2006, Egypt won their fifth African Cup of Nations trophy, beating Côte d'Ivoire on penalties, 0-0 (4-2). The match came forty-nine years to the day after their first win in an ACN match.

The two teams met earlier in the tournament's group stage, with hosts Egypt winning 3-1 on their way to topping the group. Côte d'Ivoire finished second to join them in the knockout rounds, where they upset Cameroon in a penalty shootout, 1-1 (11-12).

The final, played before a crowd of 80,000 at Cairo International Stadium, was not without controversy. After Côte d'Ivoire striker Didier Drogba missed a chance to win the match in regulation, Egypt had an 83rd-minute goal disallowed. Then, in extra time, Egypt won a dubious penalty kick for what appeared to be a fair challenge on Mohamed Barakat, but captain Ahmed Hassan sent his attempt off the bar and the match headed into penalties.

There, Hassan converted the first kick, while Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary saved Côte d'Ivoire's first kick, taken by Drogba. After Egypt's Abdel Halim Ali missed his attempt, El Hadary saved another to put Egypt ahead 2-1 after three kicks each. Emmanuel Eboue made his shot to bring the teams level, but Mohamed Aboutreika made the last kick for Egypt to claim the victory.

30 January 2008 - Eto'o Takes The Title

On 30 January 2008, Samuel Eto'o scored twice in Cameroon's win over Sudan in the African Cup of Nations. In the process, he became the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

The striker had just recovered from a lengthy injury the previous month, but took little time to recover his form, scoring both of Cameroon's goals (including one penalty) in their tournament-opening loss to Egypt on 22 January, then converting another penalty in their 5-1 win over Zambia four days later. That was his fourteenth career goal in the competition, bringing him level with Côte d'Ivoire's Laurent Pokou for the top-scorer honor.

Cameroon returned to the pitch on 30 January for their last group-stage match against Sudan. A crowd of approximately 10,000 watched as Eto'o took sole possession of the scoring title with a 27th-minute penalty that put Cameroon up 1-0. An own goal by Sudan in the 33rd minute extended the lead to 2-0, then Eto'o added another for good measure in the 90th minute to push the all-time record to sixteen and end the day as a 3-0 win.

Unfortunately for Eto'o, it was his last goal in that year's tournament as Cameroon fell to Egypt in the final. But he returned in 2010 and scored twice more to set the current record of eighteen. He was denied the opportunity to extend it even further in 2012, as Cameroon did not qualify for that year's edition.

21 March 1986 - The Pharaohs Reign Again

On 21 March 1986, hosts Egypt won their third Africa Cup of Nations title, beating Cameroon on penalties, 0-0 (5-4).

The Pharoahs had won the very first two tournaments in 1957 and 1959 (the latter as the United Arab Republic), but had managed no better than third in the intervening years. Most recently, they finished fourth in 1984.

Their 1986 campaign got off to a poor start with an opening-day loss to Sengal in Cairo, but they rallied with wins over Côte d'Ivoire and Moambique to top their group. Cameroon, meanwhile, won their own group with wins over Zambia and Algeria and a draw with Morocco.

In the semi-finals, Egypt downed Morocco and Cameroon defeated Côte d'Ivoire with equal 1-0 scorelines to set up the final in Cairo. There, Cameroon's goalkeeper Thomas Nkono, who was named to the team of the tournament, kept Egypt out of the goal, while Egypt, in turn, stymied the tournament's leading scorer, Roger Milla. After extra time, the teams were still scoreless, forcing the match into penalty kicks which Egypt won, 5-4.

Egypt have since gone on to win another four ACN titles, including the last three in a row, making them the competition's most successful nation.

17 November 1989 -They Really Don't Like Each Other

On 17 November 1989, Egypt met Algeria at Cairo Stadium to decide who would advance to the 1990 World Cup. The hosts won, 1-0, but the match is best remembered for the ensuing violence, earning it the nickname "the Hate Match."

The two sides had a long history of dislike, dating back to the 1950s when Egypt refused to play matches intended to support Algerian independence. By the 1970s and '80s, brawls had become a staple of their matches.

By 1989, Algeria were considered the better team, having gone to the two previous World Cups and finishing in third place at the 1988 African Cup of Nations. In order to book their ticket to the 1990 World Cup, they needed only a point against Egypt, who had not qualified for the World Cup since 1934.

With a capacity of 100,000, Cairo Stadium was close to packed a full 4 hours before kick-off. The home supporters were rewarded with a 4th-minute goal from Al-Ahly striker Hossam Hassan (pictured), which turned out to be the matchwinner. After the final whistle, Algeria's players, coaches, and officials surrounded the referee, then began throwing plants and dirt into the stands. At a post-match reception, Algerian midfielder Lakhdar Belloumi struck the Egyptian team doctor, blinding him in one eye.

On 18 November 2009, the two teams met again in a World Cup qualification playoff, with Algeria winning 1-0 as riots and violence again dominated the post-match reports.

25 September 2001 - This One Didn't Even Get A Name

On 25 September 2001, the Confederation of African Football unveiled the new trophy for the African Cup of Nations. It was the third trophy used since the competition's founding in 1957.

The first African Cup of Nations trophy, which was silver and resembled England's League Cup, was named the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem trophy, after the first CAF president. When Ghana won the bi-annual tournament for the third time in 1978, the CAF allowed them to keep the trophy and commissioned a new one, named the African Unity Cup. That second trophy, according to the BBC, "was emblazoned with the Olympic rings and with space-age handles and a long stem. "

Cameroon won their third ACN title in 2000 and were allowed to keep the Unity Cup, so the CAF again commissioned the new trophy (pictured). It was first won by Cameroon in 2002, and has since been claimed by Tunisia (2004), and Egypt (2006, 2008, and 2010). Egypt's success meant that they now have permanent possession of the third cup, so the CAF will again have a new one for the 2012 tournament.

10 February 1957 - Three Nations To A Cup

On 10 February 1957, Egypt won the inaugural match of the African Cup of Nations, beating Sudan by the score of 1-2 at Sudan's Khartoum Stadium. The win put the visiting Egyptian side right into the Final, as only four teams had been invited to participate and one was disqualified before ever playing a match.

The Cup of Nations was organized by the fledgling Confederation of African Football, itself formally established just earlier that month. At that time, the CAF had only four members--Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Sudan--and expected that all four would participate in the Cup. The South Africans, however, still under a policy of aparthied, refused to send a mixed-race side to the tournament and were disqualified as a result. South Africa's expulsion meant that their scheduled opponents, Ethiopia, received a bye in the semifinals and automatically qualified for the Final.

In the one semifinal match that was played, Egypt took an early lead with a 21st-minute penalty kick from center forward Raafat Ateya. Sudan equalized shortly after the break with a goal from Siddiq Manzul in the 58th minute before Egypt's Mohamed Diab El-Attar ("Al-Diba") put his side ahead for good in the 72nd minute.

The Final was never in doubt, as Egypt rolled to a 4-0 win. All four goals came from Al-Diba, making him the tournament's highest scorer.

The tournament is played every two years and has since expanded to 16 teams, who are determined by qualification rounds involving all 54 CAF members. Egypt has remained the most successful nation, with seven titles in nine Final appearances, including an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010.