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List of champions kicked out at the group stage

Ivory Coast are the 12 defending champions to be crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage and Pulse Sports Historian takes you through the other 11 casualties.

They defeated Ghana in 1968 to win their first continental title, but they were seen off at the group stage in Sudan when they finished last in a group that had Egypt, Ghana and Guinea.

Sudan also failed to successfully defend their title, after beating Ghana in the 1970 final. They finished last in a group that had Zaire, Congo and Morocco in the 1972 AFCON staged in Cameroon.

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When Congo Kinshasa was renamed Zaire, they won their second AFCON in 1974 and once again they suffered elimination at the group stage in 1976 in Ethiopia when they were drawn in a group that had Morocco, Nigeria and Sudan.

Morocco after winning the Africa Cup iof Nations in 1976 in Ethiopia were humbled in group B of the 1978 AFCON, as they finished behind Uganda and their North African neighbour Tunisia.

The Black Stars, after winning the AFCON for keeps on home soil were expected to defend it, but they had an early setback when they were crashed out at the group stage. Ghana finished third in a group with Algeria, Morocco and Guinea.

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And Ghana will again bow out at the group phase in 1984, after they defied all odds to win the title in 1982 against hosts Libya.

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Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon and Algeria, who won the AFCON in 198o, 1986, 1988 and 1990, respectively, became victims of elimination at the group stage two years later in their quest to defend the title.

READ MORE: AFCON History

The last time a defending champion failed to go past the group stage was in 2013. Zambia who had a fairytale run in 2012, beating overwhelming favourites, Ivory Coast on penalties in the final couldn’t navigate through group C which had Nigeria, Burkina and Ethiopia, as they drew all their three game to place third in the group and said bye bye to the tournament.

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