Tunisia won the title for the first time in its history, defeating Morocco 2–1 in the final. Nigeria secured third place with a 2–1 victory over Mali in the third-place match. Cameroon, the defending champions from the 2002 edition, were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–1 loss to Nigeria.
A total of 32 matches were played, with 88 goals scored — an average of 2.75 goals per match. The tournament attracted a total attendance of 617,500, averaging 19,297 spectators per match. As in the 2002 edition, sixteen teams competed, beginning with a group stage of four groups of four teams each, followed by knockout rounds (quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final). Cameroon, as the title holder, and Tunisia, as the host nation, automatically qualified. The remaining fourteen teams secured their spots through a qualification phase held from 7 September 2002 to 6 July 2003. The tournament was hosted by Nokia.
The right to host the 2004 edition was awarded to Tunisia on 4 September 2000 during a CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt[1][2] Four bids were submitted: Tunisia; Zimbabwe;[3] a joint bid by Malawi and Zambia; and another joint bid by Benin and Togo, which was withdrawn on the day of the CAF meeting.[4] This marked the third time Tunisia hosted the tournament, after previously organizing it in 1965 and 1994. Two years prior to the competition, an organizing committee (Comité d'organisation de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, or COCAN) was formed, chaired by Slim Chiboub, who had also led the organizing committee in 1994..[5]
Qualification for the tournament took place from 7 September 2002 to 6 July 2003. A total of 49 nations registered for the competition and were initially divided into 13 groups: 10 groups of four teams and 3 groups of three teams. However, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Djibouti withdrew their participation before the start of qualifying, so the 13 groups involved 7 four-team groups and 6 three-team groups.
The winner of each group qualified for the final tournament in Tunisia, as well as the best of the second. Cameroon, as defending champion, and Tunisia, as host country, automatically qualified for the final phase of the competition. Benin, Rwanda and Zimbabwe managed to qualify for the first time, with Benin and Rwanda finishing top of their groups in the qualifiers in front of two former African champions, Sudan and Ghana. Zimbabwe qualified as the best runner-up.
Qualified teams
The following sixteen teams qualified for the tournament. Cameroon were the highest-ranked team under the January 2004 FIFA World Rankings (14th), while hosts Tunisia were ranked 45th.[12]
The draw took place on 20 September 2003 in Tunis.[13] The sixteen teams were divided into four pots according to their performances in past Cup of Nations tournaments.[14]
As is the case in all versions of the African Cup of Nations, each team participating in the tournament named a squad of 23 players (including three goalkeepers).[citation needed] Participating national teams were required to confirm the final list of 23 players no later than ten days before the start of the tournament.[citation needed] In the event that a player suffered an injury which prevented participation in the tournament, his team had the right to replace him with another player at any time up to 24 hours before the team's first game.[citation needed]
Match officials
The following referees were chosen for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 16 national teams participating in the tournament together played a total of 32 matches ranging from group stage and progression matches to knockout matches, with teams eliminated through the various progressive stages.
Group stage
Result of teams participating in 2004 African Cup of Nations
Champion
Runner-up
Third place
Fourth place
Quarter-finals
Group stage
Teams highlighted in green progress to the quarter-finals.[15]
Teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 74):[16]
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
During the final, on 14 February 2004 at Stade 7 November in Radès in front of 60,000 supporters,[49] Tunisia got off to a good start with a lead 1–0 after four minutes with Mehdi Nafti crossing to Francileudo Santos, who scored his fourth goal of the tournament. At the end of the first half, Morocco equalised with a goal from Youssouf Hadji, with an assist from Youssef Mokhtari. Seven minutes into the second half, Tunisian striker Ziad Jaziri gave his country the lead again, after Moroccan keeper Khalid Fouhami fumbled a cross from Jose Clayton. The match ended 2–1, giving Tunisia their first African Cup of Nations title.[50]Khaled Badra and Riadh Bouazizi lifted the trophy after receiving it from President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.[51] In winning the title, the Eagles of Carthage became the 13th nation to be crowned African champions. Roger Lemerre also became the first coach to win two different continental tournaments after having previously won the UEFA Euro 2000 with France.[52] Tunisia also were accorded the African National Team of the Year award from the Confederation of African Football.[53] As champions, Tunisia qualified for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany, as a representative of African continent.[54]
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) selected the best players of the 2004 African Cup of Nations. This team was called the Ideal Team of the African Cup of Nations 2004 and consisted of:[60]
Each of the four teams eliminated in the quarter-finals received a bonus of 61,000 euros for reaching this level of competition. The semi-finalists received 122,600 euros, the finalists 245,200 euros and the winner 280,000 euros. Compensation was also provided to help the various federations, calculated according to the length of each team's stay in Tunisia and based on a daily lump sum of 6 euros per player and coach.[61]
Final position
Prize money
Champions
280,000 euros
Runners-up
245,200 euros
Semi-finalists
122,600 euros
Quarter-finalists
61,000 euros
Marketing
Sponsorship
On 20 September 2003, in Tunis, Nokia acquired from CAF the right to be the "title sponsor" of the 24th edition,[62] and hence the tournament was referred to as the Nokia Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia 2004.[63][64]
The organizing committee ran a competition open to the entire Tunisian population to design the mascot for the tournament, with the rules that the mascot must be an eagle and must represent football, Africa and Tunisia. Of the fifty or so proposals submitted to the committee, the design of Malek Khalfallah was chosen. Khalfallah's winning entry comprised an eagle named Nçayir in a red and white uniform, referencing the colors of the Tunisian flag.
I sent my proposal by post without even giving my phone number. I just wanted to participate. And one day someone knocked on the door telling me that I urgently needed to call a number. To my great surprise I learned that it was my first mascot proposal that won the contest! I then had to change a few details requested by the organizing committee.
The official ball for the 2004 African Cup of Nations was the Adidas Fevernova. Designed two years earlier by Adidas for the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in South Korea and Japan and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup held in United States, the ball was reused during the 2004 African Cup of Nations.[66]
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Tunisia (1st title)
Morocco 
Nigeria 
Mali 
