How a civil war and a last-minute host change defined the 2017 AFCON tournament
In short: The 31st Africa Cup of Nations was a logistical puzzle. Originally slated for Libya, the tournament was relocated to Gabon after the Second Libyan civil war forced a change in plans. Despite the instability, Cameroon emerged victorious, securing their fifth title in a competition marked by high-stakes drama and international scrutiny.
The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Total 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, was the 31st edition of Africa's premier biennial men's football championship. The path to the tournament was fraught with complications. Libya was initially awarded the hosting rights, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) rescinded this decision in August 2014 due to the ongoing Second Libyan civil war. This necessitated a rapid search for a replacement host, with Gabon ultimately selected by the CAF Executive Committee in April 2015.
The tournament featured 16 teams, with only the hosts receiving an automatic qualification spot. The qualification process itself involved 51 nations, though some teams faced significant hurdles. Morocco, for instance, was initially banned from the tournament following a dispute over the 2015 edition, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport successfully overturned this ruling. Once the tournament began, the competition followed a rigorous format: a group stage followed by knockout rounds, with extra time and penalty shoot-outs used to decide matches that ended in a draw, excluding the third-place play-off.
On the pitch, Cameroon triumphed, defeating Egypt 2–1 in the final to claim their fifth title. The tournament was also notable for the early elimination of defending champions Ivory Coast and the hosts, Gabon, both of whom failed to advance past the group stage. Beyond the football, the event faced external pressures, including a cyberattack by a group calling themselves New World Hackers, who targeted the official CAF website in protest of Gabon's selection as host. Despite these challenges, the tournament concluded with 66 goals scored across 32 matches, averaging 2.06 goals per game.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
- Also: 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
- Also: Wikidata — 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification · CC0
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