Arab Nations Cup

Arab Nations Cup

Founded	1963
Region	Arab World (UAFA)
Number of teams	19
Current champions	Morocco (1st title)
Most successful team(s)	Iraq (4 titles)
2012 Arab Nations Cup

The Arab Cup of Nations (Arabic: كأس الأمم العربية‎‎) is a football competition held between Arab countries. The first edition took place in Lebanon in 1963. Iraq is the most successful team in the history of the tournament with four consecutive titles in 1964, 1966, 1985 and 1988, while Saudi Arabia has won twice in 1998 and 2002. Other winning sides were Tunisia in 1963, Egypt in 1992, and Morocco in 2012.

History

The Lebanese Football Association was the first to call for the establishment of the tournament, thanks to its president M. Georges Debbas who called to organize a general Arab assembly in 1962 for the organization of the Arab cup of nations. The competition has done in Beirut in October 1963, with the participation of five teams. However, the tournament has seen after the first edition many packages as well as a large number of problems that have prevented the organization steadily.

Statistics

Winners

Year	Host nation		Final				Third Place Match
			Champion	Score	Second Place		Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
1963 Details	Lebanon		Tunisia	n/a	Syria		Lebanon	n/a	Kuwait
1964 Details	Kuwait		Iraq	n/a	Libya		Kuwait	n/a	Lebanon
1966 Details	Iraq		Iraq	2 – 1	Syria		Libya	6 – 1	Lebanon
1985 Details	Saudi Arabia		Iraq	1 – 0	Bahrain		Saudi Arabia	0 – 0 (4 – 1) on penalties	Qatar
1988 Details	Jordan		Iraq	1 – 1 (4 – 3) on penalties	Syria		Egypt	2 – 0	Jordan
1992(1) Details	Syria		Egypt	3 – 2	Saudi Arabia		Kuwait	2 – 1	Syria
1998 Details	Qatar		Saudi Arabia	3 – 1	Qatar		Kuwait	4 – 1	United Arab Emirates
2002(2) Details	Kuwait		Saudi Arabia	1 – 0	Bahrain		Jordan and  Morocco
2009 Details			Cancelled during qualification				Cancelled during qualification
2012 Details	Saudi Arabia		Morocco	1 – 1 (3 – 1) on penalties	Libya		Iraq	1 – 0	Saudi Arabia

^n/a A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.

Note: Iraq was banned from the competition from 1991 to 2003 due to international sanctions.

Successful national teams

Team	Titles	Runners-up	Third-place	Fourth-place	Semi-finalists
Iraq	4 (1964, 1966*, 1985, 1988)	–	1 (2012)	–	–
Saudi Arabia	2 (1998, 2002)	1 (1992)	1 (1985*)	1 (2012*)	–
Egypt	1 (1992)	–	1 (1988)	–	–
Morocco	1 (2012)	–	–	–	1 (2002)
Tunisia	1 (1963)	–	–	–	–
Syria	–	3 (1963, 1966, 1988)	–	1 (1992*)	–
Libya	–	2 (1964, 2012)	1 (1966)	–	–
Bahrain	–	2 (1985, 2002)	–	–	–
Qatar	–	1 (1998*)	–	1 (1985)	–
Kuwait	–	–	3 (1964*, 1992, 1998)	–	–
Lebanon	–	–	1 (1963*)	2 (1964, 1966)	–
Jordan	–	–	–	1 (1988*)	1 (2002)
United Arab Emirates	–	–	–	1 (1998)	–

* hosts

Participating nations

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• 3rd – Third place
• 4th – Fourth place
• SF – Semi-final
• GS – Group stage
• q – Qualified
•     — Hosts

Team	1963	1964	1966	1985	1988	1992	1998	2002	2012	Years
Algeria					GS		GS			2
Bahrain			GS	2nd	GS			2nd	GS	5
Egypt					3rd	1st	GS		GS	4
Iraq		1st	1st	1st	1st				3rd	5
Jordan	GS	GS	GS	GS	4th	GS	GS	SF		8
Kuwait	4th	3rd	GS		GS	3rd	3rd	GS	GS	8
Lebanon	3rd	4th	4th		GS		GS	GS	GS	7
Libya		2nd	3rd				GS		2nd	4
Mauritania				GS						1
Morocco							GS	SF	1st	3
Oman			GS							1
Palestine			GS			GS		GS	GS	4
Qatar				4th			2nd			2
Saudi Arabia				3rd	GS	2nd	1st	1st	4th	6
Sudan							GS	GS	GS	3
Syria	2nd		2nd		2nd	4th	GS	GS		6
Tunisia	1st				GS					2
United Arab Emirates							4th			1
Yemen			GS					GS	GS	3
Total

Note: Iraq was banned from the competition from 1991 to 2003 due to international sanctions.

See also

• Arab U-20 Championship
• Arab U-15 Championship
• Palestine Cup of Nations
• Gulf Cup of Nations
• Football at the Pan Arab Games
• Union of Arab Football Associations

External links

• Arab Cup - Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation