2002 African Cup of Nations

2002 African Cup of Nations
Coupe d'Afrique des Nations 2002
	African Cup of Nations 2002 official logo
Tournament details
Host country	Mali
Dates	19 January – 10 February
Teams	16
Venue(s)	6 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Cameroon (4th title)
Runners-up	Senegal
Third place	Nigeria
Fourth place	Mali
Tournament statistics
Matches played	32
Goals scored	48 (1.5 per match)
Attendance	570,000 (17,813 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Julius Aghahowa ; Patrick Mboma ; Salomon Olembé ; (3 goals each)
Best player(s)	El Hadji Diouf
	← 2000 2004 →

Last updated September 08, 2025

The 2002 African Cup of Nations was the 23rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Mali. Just like in 2000, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Cameroon won its fourth championship (repeating as champions), beating Senegal on penalty kicks 3–2 after a goalless draw.

Host selection

Bids:

Algeria
Botswana
Egypt
Ethiopia
Mali (selected as hosts)

The organization of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations was awarded to Mali on 5 February 1998 by the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso during the 1998 African Cup of Nations. Voters had a choice between five countries: Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia and Mali.

This was the first time that Mali had hosted the competition.

Qualification

Team	Qualified as	Qualified on	Previous appearances in tournament^[a]
Mali	Hosts		2 (1972, 1994)
Cameroon	Holders	13 February 2000	11 (1970, 1972 , 1982, 1984 , 1986, 1988 , 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000 )
Liberia	Group 2 winners	16 June 2001	1 (1996)
Morocco	Group 3 winners	16 June 2001	9 (1972, 1976 , 1978, 1980, 1986, 1988 , 1992, 1998, 2000)
Nigeria	Group 1 winners	16 June 2001	11 (1963, 1976, 1978, 1980 , 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 , 2000)
Algeria	Group 4 winners	17 June 2001	11 (1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990 , 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000)
Burkina Faso	Group 4 runners-up	17 June 2001	4 (1978, 1996, 1998 , 2000)
DR Congo	Group 6 runners-up	17 June 2001	12 (1965, 1968 , 1970, 1972, 1974 , 1976, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000)
Egypt	Group 7 winners	17 June 2001	17 ( 1957 , 1959 , 1962, 1963, 1970, 1974 , 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986 , 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 , 2000)
Ghana	Group 6 winners	17 June 2001	13 ( 1963 , 1965 , 1968, 1970, 1978 , 1980, 1982 , 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000)
Ivory Coast	Group 7 runners-up	17 June 2001	14 (1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984 , 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992 , 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000)
Senegal	Group 5 winners	17 June 2001	7 (1965, 1968, 1986, 1990, 1992 , 1994, 2000)
South Africa	Group 2 runners-up	17 June 2001	3 ( 1996 , 1998, 2000)
Togo	Group 5 winners	17 June 2001	4 (1972, 1984, 1998, 2000)
Tunisia	Group 3 runners-up	17 June 2001	9 (1962, 1963, 1965 , 1978, 1982, 1994 , 1996, 1998, 2000)
Zambia	Group 1 runners-up	16 June 2001	10 (1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000)

Notes

↑ Bold indicates champion for that year, Italic indicates host.

Squads

Venues

Bamako Kayes Mopti Ségou Sikasso			Bamako
			Stade du 26 Mars
			Capacity: 55,000

			Bamako
			Stade Modibo Keïta
			Capacity: 25,000

Kayes	Mopti	Ségou	Sikasso
Stade Abdoulaye Makoro Cissoko	Stade Barema Bocoum	Stade Amary Daou	Stade Babemba Traoré
Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 15,000	Capacity: 15,000

Group stage

Teams highlighted in green progress to the Quarter Finals.

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Nigeria	3	2	1	0	2	0	+2	7	Advance to knockout stage
2	Mali (H)	3	1	2	0	3	1	+2	5	Advance to knockout stage
3	Liberia	3	0	2	1	3	4	−1	2
4	Algeria	3	0	1	2	2	5	−3	1

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
(H) Hosts

19 January 2002

16:00

Mali	1–1	Liberia
Keita 87'		Weah 45'

Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Abdel Hakim Shelmani (Libya)

21 January 2002