Ghana 2008 - Egypt extend record

If winning the competition at home two years earlier was a fluke, then the Pharaohs silenced their critics in style in Ghana.

They extended the record number of wins to six after beating Cameroon 1-0 in Accra on February 10 in Accra. Mohamed Aboutrika scored easily after German-based Mohamed Zidan had dispossessed Cameroon defender and captain Rigobert Song under pressure just outside his box.

Most people's favourite was Ivory Coast with their galaxy of foreign-based stars who play in the top European leagues. They were left disappointed as Egypt strolled to a 4-1 victory against an incoherent Ivorian side that paraded the likes of Didier Drogba.

Only few would question whether Egypt deserved the title – their commitment and purposefulness was key to their success. Yet it remains unexplained why this domination is not translated into regular qualification for the World Cup, an event they have qualified for only twice.

The Nations Cup also saw a long standing record being broken and that was when Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon beat Laurent Pokou's record of a total 14 goals in all appearances in the competition. Eto’o holds the record now with 16 goals.