The prestigious African Cup of Nations Trophy is arriving in Ghana kind courtesy of TotalEnergies, title sponsor of the AFCON 2021.
On 16th and 17th November 2021, the principal streets of Accra and selected TotalEnergies stations will go into 100% football mode with the AFCON trophy.
TotalEnergies has been a major partner of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the governing body for football on the African continent, since July 2016. TotalEnergies group has become the title sponsor of ten competitions including the African cup of nations, which was rebranded the TotalEnergies AFCON for the occasion.
Building on the formidable unifying and universal power of football, TotalEnergies has created the “TotalEnergies Football Together” program to bring fans together, celebrate and share the passion of football on the continent.
Held every two years, the African Cup of Nations is the most important sporting event in Africa and the third-largest football competition after the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA EURO Championship.
The TotalEnergies AFCON is a tournament between the 24 best African teams, divided into 6 pools of 4 teams, and is played in 52 matches.
One year after welcoming the best talents in African football during the TotalEnergies CHAN, Cameroon is opening its doors to host the 33rd edition of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, held from January 9 to February 6, 2022.
In view of that, the AFCON trophy will be arriving in Ghana on Tuesday 16th November 2021 and then make stops the next day Wednesday 17th November 2021 at the following Total Petroleum Ghana Network Service Stations in Accra: Osu Oxford Street Total Service Station, Liberation Road Total Service Station and Darkuman Total Service Station. This will give fans the opportunity to take pictures with the trophy and engage in activities with former Black Stars captain, Stephen Appiah.
Throughout the history of the African Cup of Nations, three different trophies have been awarded to the winners of the competition.
The original trophy, made of silver, was the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy, named after the first CAF president, Egyptian Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem.
As the first winner of three African Cup of Nations tournaments, Ghana obtained the right to permanently hold the trophy in 1978.
The second trophy was awarded from 1980 to 2000 and was named Trophy of African Unity or African Unity Cup. It was given to CAF by the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa prior to the 1980 tournament and it was a cylindrical piece with the Olympic rings over a map of the continent engraved on it. It sat on a squared base and had stylized triangular handles.
Cameroon won the Unity Cup indefinitely after they became three-time champions in 2000.
In 2001, the third trophy was revealed, a gold-plated cup designed and made in Italy. Cameroon, permanent holders of the previous trophy, were the first nation to be awarded the new trophy after they won the 2002 edition. Egypt won the gold-plated cup indefinitely after they became three-time champions in 2010, in an unprecedented achievement by winning three consecutive continental titles.
Unlike previous winners who would have then taken the trophy home, Egypt were presented with a special full-size replica that they were allowed to keep.