With the exception of club managers, the African Cup of Nations (ACN) has become an eagerly anticipated event for any individual with a passion for football. Attacking flair, festive crowds and stadia splashed in colour have combined to create a lure most aficionados find hard to resist. It wasn't always this way though.
The ACN comes from humble beginnings - with a meagre three teams participating in the first tournament in February 1957. Organised under the auspices of the Confederation of African Football, itself a nascent organisation not even a year old, Egypt's win in the inaugural edition barely created a ripple outside the country, much less the continent.
As the tournament grew more inclusive however, with nine teams competing for qualification in the third ACN in 1962, its stature began to rise.
By the time Ghana lifted the trophy for the second time in 1965 by beating Tunisia, the competition had firmly pegged itself on the footballing map, with top footballers vying to claim their place in the pantheon of African greats.
One of ACN's earliest heroes was Ivory Coast forward Laurent Pokou, who helped the Elephants to second and third place in the ACN 1968 and 1970 respectively, helping himself to 14 goals in the process - a record which stood until Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o broke it in ACN 2008.
A record yet to be broken however is goals in a single tournament, belonging to Zaire striker Mulamba Ndaye - whose nine strikes led The Leopards to glory continental glory in 1974.
While the 70s were dominated by individuals like Pokou and Ndaye, the Nigerian and Cameroonian teams took centre-stage in the 80s with at least one team reaching four of the five finals played in the decade.
It was therefore a huge surprise that neither team managed to qualify for the 2012 edition of the tournament. Their absence will be keenly felt, along with that of Egypt, who won three successive titles from 2006 to 2010.
In the absence of these three powerhouses, Ghana and Ivory Coast, boasting of stars from across Europe’s major domestic leagues, will go into the tournament as overwhelming favourites. Another team to watch out for are Angola, who will be looking to build on two successive quarter-finals appearances in 2008 and 2010.
Meanwhile, co-hosts Equatorial Guinea will just be hoping for a decent showing in their maiden appearance in Africa’s premier national competition. .
