From four-goal deficits to last-minute heroics – AFCON has seen unforgettable recoveries.

Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)

The Africa Cup of Nations has produced some of football’s most astonishing comebacks:

  • Angola 4–4 Mali (2010): Mali erased a four-goal deficit in the final 12 minutes of the opening match against hosts Angola in Luanda. Seydou Keita and Mustapha Yatabare scored in added time, earning a sensational draw, though Mali did not advance past the group stage.
  • Burkina Faso 4–4 DR Congo: In a third-place playoff in Ouagadougou, DR Congo overturned a 4–1 deficit in the final minutes, scoring three goals in three minutes. Lokenge Mungongo’s 90th-minute equalizer forced a penalty shootout, which DR Congo won.
  • Cameroon 3–3 Burkina Faso (2022): Hosts Cameroon staged a remarkable comeback after trailing by three goals in the closing stages of the third-place playoff in Yaoundé. Vincent Aboubakar scored twice within three minutes, taking the match to penalties, where Cameroon emerged victorious.

These games highlight AFCON’s unpredictable drama, where no lead is ever truly safe.