1978 African Cup of Nations
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Ghana |
| Dates | 5 March – 16 March |
| Teams | 8 (from 1 confederation) |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |
 Ghana (3rd title) |
| Runners-up |
 Uganda |
| Third place |
 Nigeria |
| Fourth place |
 Tunisia |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 16 |
| Goals scored | 38 (2.38 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |
Opoku Afriyie Segun Odegbami Phillip Omondi (3 goals each) |
| Best player |
Abdul Razak |
The 1978 African Cup of Nations was the eleventh edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. The format of the competition changed from 1976: the field of eight teams was still split into two groups of four, but the final group stage was eliminated in favor of the knockout semifinals used in tournaments prior to 1976. Ghana won its third championship, beating Uganda in the final 2−0.
The Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) and Mali were disqualified from this competition in 1978 in the second round of the qualifiers. Upper Volta, who had been beaten by the Ivory Coast in the first qualifying round, were given a place in the finals at their expense.
Qualified teams
The 8 qualified teams are:
1 Ivory Coast originally qualified by beating Mali 2-1 on aggregate, but both teams were disqualified: Ivory Coast for fielding an ineligible player in the second leg, and Mali due to police and stadium security assaulting the match officials during the first leg. Upper Volta, who had lost to Ivory Coast in the previous round, were given their place in the finals.[1]
Squads
Venues
| Accra | Kumasi | |
|---|---|---|
| Accra Sports Stadium | Kumasi Sports Stadium | |
| Capacity: 40,000 | Capacity: 40,500 | |
 |
 |
Group stage
- Teams highlighted in green progress to the quarterfinals
- 2 points awarded for a win and 1 point for a draw at group stage
Group A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 5 |
| Nigeria |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
 Zambia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
 Upper Volta |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
5 March 1978 |
| Nigeria |
4–2 | Upper Volta |
|---|---|---|
Chukwu  17' Amiesimaka 31' Odegbami 44', 82' |
Report | Hien 50' Koïta 52' |
8 March 1978 |
| Nigeria |
1–1 | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| Odegbami 33' |
Report | 76' Klutse |
Accra Sports Stadium, Accra Attendance: 60,000 |
Group B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 4 |
| Tunisia |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
 Morocco |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 |
 Congo |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Knockout stage
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||
| 14 March – Accra | |||||||
| Ghana |
1 | ||||||
| Tunisia |
0 | ||||||
| 16 March – Accra | |||||||
| Ghana |
2 | ||||||
| Uganda |
0 | ||||||
| Third place | |||||||
| 14 March – Kumasi | 16 March – Accra | ||||||
| Uganda |
2 | Tunisia |
1 | ||||
| Nigeria |
1 | Nigeria |
11 | ||||
Semi-finals
Third place match
1 The match was abandoned after Tunisia walked off in the 42nd minute with the score tied at 1-1 to protest the officiating. Nigeria were awarded a 2-0 win, and Tunisia were banned from CAF competitions for two years.[2]
Final
Winner
| African Cup of Nations 1978 Champion |
|---|
Ghana 3rd title |
Scorers
- The two scorers in the third place match not added.
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
|
- 1 goal
|
|
|
CAF Team of the Tournament
Goalkeeper
Defenders
- Mokhtar Dhouieb
- James Kuuku Dadzie
- Al-Qasmy
- Al-Araby
Midfielders
- Moses Nsereko
- Karim Abdul Razak
- Adolf Armah
- Phillip Omondi
Forwards
References
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tables/78a.html
- ↑ "16 March 1978 - The Eagles Of Carthage Get Grounded". www.thisdayinfootballhistory.blogspot.com. Retrieved 30 March 2013.