| Coupe d'Afrique des Nations 1972 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Cameroon |
| Dates | 23 February – 5 March |
| Teams | 8 |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Congo (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Mali |
| Third place |  Cameroon |
| Fourth place |  Zaire |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 53 (3.31 per match) |
| Attendance | 425,000 (26,563 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Fantamady Keita (5 goals) |
| Best player(s) | François M'Pelé |
← 1970 1974 → | |
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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.