1972 African Cup of Nations
The 1972 African Cup of Nations was the eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa. 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.
Qualified teams
For the first time, Ethiopia did not compete. The 8 qualified teams are:| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearances in tournament |
| Hosts | |||
| Holders | |||
| 2nd round winners | |||
| 2nd round winners | |||
| 2nd round winners | |||
| 2nd round winners | |||
| 2nd round winners | |||
| 2nd round winners |
;Notes
Venues
The competition was played in two venues in Yaoundé and Douala.| Yaoundé | |
| Stade Omnisports | |
| Capacity: 38,720 | |
| Douala | |
| Stade de la Réunification | |
| Capacity: 30,000 | |
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:- Goal difference in all group matches
- Greater number of goals scored in all group matches
- Drawing of lots
Group A
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Group B
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Knockout stage
Semifinals
----Team of the tournament
Source:| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
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