1980 African Cup of Nations
The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa. It was hosted by Nigeria. Just like in 1978, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Nigeria won its first championship, beating Algeria in the final 3−0.
Qualified teams
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 Lagos and Ibadan.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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