1963 African Cup of Nations

1963 African Cup of Nations
Tournament details
Host countryGhana
Dates24 November – 1 December
Teams6
Venue(s)2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Ghana (1st title)
Runners-up Sudan
Third place United Arab Republic
Fourth place Ethiopia
Tournament statistics
Matches played8
Goals scored33 (4.13 per match)
Top scorer(s)United Arab Republic Hassan El-Shazly
(6 goals)
Best player(s)United Arab Republic Hassan El-Shazly
← 1962
1965 →
International football competition

The 1963 African Cup of Nations was the fourth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). For the third consecutive time the hosts won the African Cup. The format was changed to two groups of 3 teams each, with the group winners playing the final, and the runners-up playing the third place playoff. The final in Accra on 1 December saw the hosts beating Sudan 3–0 to win the title.[1]

This tournament, and the previous one, are the only Africa Cup of Nations tournaments with more than four goals-per-game average.

Qualified teams

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament[a]
 Ghana Hosts 0 (debut)
 Ethiopia Holders 21 January 1962 3 (1957, 1959, 1962)
 United Arab Republic 1st round winners 25 January 1963 3 (1957, 1959, 1962)
 Sudan 1st round winners 30 June 1963 2 (1957, 1959)
 Tunisia 1st round winners 2 July 1963 1 (1962)
 Nigeria 1st round winners 6 October 1963 0 (debut)
Notes
  1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year, Italic indicates host.

Squads

Venues

The competition was played in two venues in Accra and Kumasi.

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:

  1. Goal difference in all group matches
  2. Greater number of goals scored in all group matches
  3. Drawing of lots

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Ghana (H) 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 3 Advance to final
2  Ethiopia 2 1 0 1 4 4 0 2 Advance to third place play-off
3  Tunisia 2 0 1 1 3 5 −2 1
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Ghana 1–1 Tunisia
Referee: Mahmoud Hussein Imam (United Arab Republic)
Ghana 2–0 Ethiopia
Acquah
Ethiopia 4–2 Tunisia
 Chetali 15'
Jedidi 67'[a]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Sudan 2 1 1 0 6 2 +4 3 Advance to final
2  United Arab Republic 2 1 1 0 8 5 +3 3 Advance to third place play-off
3  Nigeria 2 0 0 2 3 10 −7 0
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
United Arab Republic 6–3 Nigeria
United Arab Republic 2–2 Sudan
Sudan 4–0 Nigeria

Knockout stage

Third place match

United Arab Republic 3–0 Ethiopia

Final

Ghana 3–0 Sudan
Referee: Hédi Ben Abdelkader (Tunisia)

Goalscorers

There were 33 goals scored in 8 matches, for an average of 4.12 goals per match.

6 goals

4 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Notes

  1. ^ a b The sources differ in recording the scorers in that match. Other alternatives were that Ethiopian scorers were Worku, Getachew Wolde, and a brace by Luciano Vassalo, or Italo Vassalo, L. Vassalo and a brace by Worku. Meanwhile, Tunisian scorers were also given as Jedidi and Raouf Ben Amor, or Chetali and Hammadi Henia, or a brace for Henia.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Roll of Honour". The Guardian. 16 January 2006. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  2. ^ "African Nations Cup 1963". RSSSF. 6 July 2016.
  • Details at RSSSF
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Notes
The 2021 and 2023 tournaments were actually held in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
There were no 1957 and 1959 qualifications as places were given by invitation only.
The "finals" articles for 1959 and 1976 are about the decisive matches of final group stages.
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