The 1986 African Cup of Nations was the 15th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, a football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 1984, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Egypt won its third championship, beating Cameroon on penalty kicks 5–4 after a goalless draw.

Qualified teams

The 8 qualified teams are:

Squads

Venues

The competition was played in two venues in Cairo and Alexandria.

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

CAF Team of the Tournament