Improve your betting odds with this background on the African Cup of Nations. We also provide a great online casino recommendation for South Africans. A Look at the Africa Cup of Nations for Betting Fans Football is the most popular sport in the African continent and a national sport in every African country. From north to south, east to west, Africans have embraced the sport as seen with many sports leagues and participation in the premier African international football tournament. As nations prepare for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, most people will be following the competition while expecting their teams to win. In light of this many fans will be heading to online casinos and sportsbooks to make a bet. Yebo Gogo – Try Out Yebo Casino Talking of online casinos, there is one great site for South Africans to try out, and you can read Top10casino’s review of Yebo Casino right here. While the site lacks a sportsbook for you to take advantage of accumulators and a range of other betting options, you’ll still have access to many of the top casino games such as poker, roulette, blackjack, slots and more. Choosing a Bookmaker with Great Odds and Tips The bookmakers closely monitor each team participating in the tournament to offer betting tips on who will win the tournament. However, these tips are just hints that can help you make up your mind and not a guarantee of coming out correct. The tips do not come with an obligation, which means the betting company is not liable for loss encountered after using the hints. Here, we cover all details on the AFCON upcoming tournament so you can get top quality tips and predictions on your favorite team. What is the African Cup of Nations? The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) is the premier African international football tournament and the biggest football event on the African continent that happens every two years. The tournament is organized by the continent’s football running body CAF or Confederation Africaine de Football. This is one of the most colorful, pulsating, and unpredictable tournaments of the world that continues to impress many fans. For example, the 2006 edition of AFCON final between Cameroon and Ivory Coast was decided by a penalty shootout. This shootout ended 12-11 to Ivory Coast, the only major tournament to end like this. While the CAF cup of nations was set to take place in early 2021, it is now scheduled to take place in January 2022 due to COVID. The 2022 CAF cup of nations will be the 33rd edition that will be held in Cameroon. The winner of the tournament gains a license to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup. In essence, the AFCON has grown greatly with the number of participants increasing and more countries getting an opportunity to participate. History of the AFCON The first Africa Cup of Nations was held in 1957 in correspondence with the creation of the continent’s football running body. Three nations: Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt, participated in this first-ever AFCON tournament. Egypt won the trophy by defeating Ethiopia in the final having defeated hosts Sudan in the only other match. This was the inaugural tournament that was scheduled to have four participating teams. However, South Africa was disqualified due to the apartheid policies of the government at the time. From 1968, the tournament was held every even year until 2013 when it switched to oddnumbered years to avoid clashes with the FIFA World Cup competition. Winners of the 2012 edition were automatically qualified to defend their title in the tournament held in 2013. The AFCON tournament has grown immensely since its first edition, necessitating the need for holding qualifying matches before the finals. In 1998, the number of participating teams reached 16, though Nigeria withdrew with the number remaining 15. All teams were drawn into four teams of four with group winners and runners up qualifying for the quarter-finals. In 2019, the tournament expanded to 24 teams to allow more teams a chance to participate. The expansion changed the format of this tournament with more teams qualifying for the knockout stages. Throughout the history of the AFCON tournament, three trophies have been awarded, with Cameroon and Ghana winning the first two versions for keeps after winning the tournament three times. The current trophy was first awarded in 2002 and remains in circulation. Playing Format The 2021 AFCON will be the 33rd edition of the tournament. It will be hosted in Cameroon after teams have qualified through the qualification rounds. 52 African countries entered the qualification tournament that includes Cameroon who has automatically qualified for being hosts. After preliminary rounds, 12 groups of four are drawn to play the qualifying rounds. The top two teams in each group earn a space in the AFCON finals. This means there will be a total of 24 teams that will qualify to play in the AFCON when the tournament starts. After the qualification rounds are over, six groups of four will be drawn to start the tournament in the group stages. The draw happens towards the start of the tournament. The top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stages, alongside the four best teams in third place. A total of 16 teams will progress to the round of 16 knockouts. This is the straight knockout stage with winning teams progressing to the final. The knockout stage is a one-off game that is decided on penalties if no outright winner is determined. There is also the 3rd place playoff between the losing semi-finalists towards the end of the tournament. AFCON Record Holders Egypt holds the record for most titles, having won the cup seven times. This is three times more than their closest competitor. They are the most successful nation, having won the first two tournaments, before adding their third in 1986 and the fourth in 1998. The country also recorded history by winning three consecutive editions between 2006, 2008, and 2010.