The 1972 African Cup of Nations was the eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Cameroon, in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala. Just like in 1970, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. The People's Republic of the Congo won its first championship, beating Mali in the final 3−2.

Qualified teams

For the first time, Ethiopia did not compete. The 8 qualified teams are:

Squads

Venues

The competition was played in two venues in Yaoundé and Douala.

Group stage

Tiebreakers

If two or more teams finished level on points after completion of the group matches, the following tie-breakers were used to determine the final ranking:

Group A

Group B

Knockout stage

Semifinals

Third place match

Final

Goalscorers

Team of the tournament

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