With a few weeks to the commencement of the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, GOAL looks at players who have played the most games in the competition’s history.
Rigobert Song (Cameroon)
Tournament appearances: Eight
Debut Afcon: South Africa 1996
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievements: Two Afcon titles: Nigeria/Ghana 2000 & Mali 2002
Career span: 16 years, 275 days
Ahmed Hassan (Egypt)
Tournament appearances: Eight
Debut Afcon: South Africa 1996
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievements
Four Afcon titles: Burkina Faso 1998, Egypt 2006, Ghana 2008, Angola 2010
Africa Cup of Nations Best Player: 2006, 2010
Africa Cup of Nations Dream Team: 2006, 2010
Career span – 16 years, 145 days
Geremi Njitap (Cameroon)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Burkina Faso 1998
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievements
Two Afcon titles: Nigeria/Ghana 2000, Mali 2002
Africa Cup of Nations: Team of All Tournaments
Career span: 13 years, 261 days
Boubacar Barry (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Mali 2002
Last Afcon: Equatorial Guinea 2015
Achievements: One Afcon title (Equatorial Guinea 2015)
Career Span: 16 years
Siaka Tiene (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Mali 2002
Last Afcon: Equatorial Guinea 2015
Achievements: One Afcon title (Equatorial Guinea 2015)
Career Span: 13 years
Kolo Toure (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Mali 2002
Last Afcon: Equatorial Guinea 2015
Achievements: One Afcon title (Equatorial Guinea 2015)
Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015
Career Span: 14 years, 221 days
Essam El Hadary (Egypt)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Burkina Faso 1998
Last Afcon: Gabon 2017
Achievements: Four Afcon titles: Burkina Faso 1998, Egypt 2006, Ghana 2008, Angola 2010
Career span: 22 years, 92 days
Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Egypt 1986
Last Afcon: Egypt 2006
Achievements
Three Afcon titles: Egypt 1986, Burkina Faso 1998, Egypt 2006
Afcon topscorer in 1998
Career span: 20 years, 150 days
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Ghana 2008
Last Afcon: Egypt 2019
Achievements: Runner-up: Angola 2010, Equatorial Guinea 2015
Career span:15 years, 234 days
Seidou Keita (Mali)
Tournament appearances: Seven
Debut Afcon: Mali 2002
Last Afcon: Equatorial Guinea 2015
Career span: 16 years, 116 days
Rabah Madjer (Algeria)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Nigeria 1980
Last Afcon: Senegal 1992
Achievement: One Afcon title: Algeria 1990
Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1982, 1990
Career span – 13 years, 116 days
Mahieddine Meftah (Algeria)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Algeria 1990
Last Afcon: Mali 2002
Achievement
One Afcon title: Algeria 1990
Career span – 17 years.
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Nigeria/Ghana 2000
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievements
Two Afcon titles: Nigeria/Ghana 2000, Mali 2002
African Cup of Nations all-time top goalscorer
African Cup of Nations top goalscorer: 2006, 2008
Career span – 17 years, 96 days
Salomon Kalou (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Ghana 2008
Last Afcon: Gabon 2017
Achievement: One Afcon title: Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Career span: 17 years.
Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Egypt 2006
Last Afcon: Equatorial Guinea 2017
Achievement: One Afcon title: Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015
Career span: 10 years, 335 days
Didier Zokora (Cote d’Ivoire)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Mali 2002
Last Afcon: South Africa 2013
Career span: 14 years, 57 days
Abdel-Zaher El-Saqqa (Egypt)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Burkina Faso 1998
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievement: Three Afcon titles: Burkina Faso 1998, Egypt 2006, Ghana 2010
Career span: 12 years, 226 days
Hany Ramzy (Egypt)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Senegal 1992
Last Afcon: Mali 2002
Career span: Career span – 14 years, 88 days
Andre Ayew (Ghana)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Ghana 2008
Last Afcon: Egypt 2019
Career span: Active
Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
Tournament appearances: Six
Debut Afcon: Nigeria /Ghana 2000
Last Afcon: Angola 2010
Achievement: Runner-up: Nigeria/Ghana 2000
Career span: 19 years
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