With just 18 days to the kickoff of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, excitement is rising across the continent.
The heart of that anticipation stands a symbol more powerful than any anthem, headline, or highlight reel, the AFCON trophy, the ultimate prize in African football.
Few objects in sport carry as much history, pride and emotional weight.
Across nearly seven decades, three trophies have defined the competition’s identity, each reflecting the era in which it reigned.
Together, they tell the story of Africa’s footballing evolution, its ambition, its artistry, and the nations that rose to shape its destiny.
The First Crown — The Salem Trophy
(1957–1978)
The journey begins in 1957 with the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy, named after CAF’s pioneering first president.
Elegant, slender and modest in size, it captured the spirit of a young, newly independent Africa using football to make its voice heard. Ghana became the first nation to etch its dominance into the trophy’s legacy, winning AFCON three times (1963, 1965, 1978) and earning permanent custody.
But the cup’s story turned bittersweet when it was later reported stolen, a lost relic of African sporting heritage still mourned today.
A New Era — The African Unity Trophy (1980–2000)
As AFCON grew in stature through the 1980s and 1990s, CAF introduced a bolder successor- The African Unity Trophy.
With expanding TV audiences and stronger national teams, the competition needed silverware that matched its rising profile.
Cameroon embodied this era of power and continental rivalry, winning in 1984, 1988 and 2000 to keep the trophy forever.
It remains a treasured piece of FECAFOOT history.
The Modern Symbol — The Current Trophy (2002–Present)
The 21st-century AFCON trophy, crafted by Italian designers, arrived in 2002 with a striking golden-globe design, contemporary, iconic, unmistakably African.
Unlike its predecessors, this cup stays with CAF. Champions lift it, celebrate with it, but return it after their reign. Egypt’s historic treble (2006, 2008, 2010) brought them a full-size replica, while the original was engraved and sent back under heavy security, a reflection of CAF’s modern custodial standards.
A Trophy That Belongs to Everyone
From Accra to Algiers, Lagos to Libreville, the AFCON trophy has become more than metal. It is a shared emblem of African excellence, a vessel for memories, dreams and national pride.
When the next champion lifts it in Morocco, they will not just claim a title.
They will join a lineage, add a new chapter and hold, even if briefly, the pride of an entire continent.
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