2015 Africa Cup of Nations - wikipedia 2015 Africa Cup of Nations 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Copa Africana de Naciones 2015 Campeonato Africano das Nações de 2015 Coupe d'Afrique des Nations 2015 AFCON 2015 CAN 2015 Tournament details Host country Equatorial Guinea Dates 17 January -- 8 February Teams 16 ( from 1 confederation ) Venue ( s ) 4 ( in 4 host cities ) Final positions Champions Ivory Coast ( 2nd title ) Runners - up Ghana Third place DR Congo Fourth place Equatorial Guinea Tournament statistics Matches played 32 Goals scored 68 ( 2.13 per match ) Attendance 617,374 ( 19,293 per match ) Top scorer ( s ) Ahmed Akaïchi André Ayew Javier Balboa Thievy Bifouma Dieumerci Mbokani ( 3 goals each ) Best player Christian Atsu Best goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo Fair play award DR Congo ← 2013 2017 → Champion Runner - up Third place Fourth place Quarter - finals Group stage The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea 2015 for sponsorship reasons, was the 30th staging of the Africa Cup of Nations, the international football championship of Africa. It was organized by the Confederation of African Football ( CAF ) and was held from 17 January to 8 February 2015. The tournament was initially scheduled to be hosted by Morocco who later demanded postponement of the event because of the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa ; subsequently Morocco was ruled out as a host country and replaced by Equatorial Guinea. The Ivory Coast won the tournament for their second Africa Cup of Nations title, defeating Ghana 9 -- 8 in a penalty shoot - out after the final finished goalless following extra time. The DR Congo came third and the hosts Equatorial Guinea fourth, while defending champions Nigeria did not qualify. Contents 1 Host selection 1.1 Moroccan withdrawal 2 Qualification 2.1 Qualified teams 3 Venues 4 Format 5 Draw 6 Match officials 7 Squads 8 Group stage 8.1 Group A 8.2 Group B 8.3 Group C 8.4 Group D 9 Knockout stage 9.1 Quarter - finals 9.2 Semi-finals 9.3 Third place play - off 9.4 Final 10 Winners 11 Statistics 11.1 Goalscorers 11.2 Awards 11.3 Discipline 11.4 Tournament team rankings 12 Marketing 12.1 Sponsorship 13 Media 13.1 Broadcasting 14 Match ball 15 Mascot 16 Opening ceremony 17 Controversies 17.1 Drawing of lots 17.2 Tunisia vs. Equatorial Guinea refereeing 17.3 Equatorial Guinea vs. Ghana crowd incidents 18 References 19 External links Host selection Bids : Nation Last hosted Botswana - Cameroon 1972 DR Congo - Guinea - Morocco 1988 South Africa Zambia - Zimbabwe - CAF received 3 bids before 30 September 2010, the deadline, to host either the 2015 or 2017 Africa Cup of Nations from DR Congo, Morocco and South Africa. All three bids were originally put on a shortlist. CAF then began an inspection procedure, on November and December 2010, intending to visit each bidding country to view stadiums, infrastructure, and football interest. They inspected the DR Congo first. Shortly after the inspection, DR Congo informed CAF that they would be withdrawing their bids for both the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Morocco was the next country to be inspected, with CAF visiting the country in early November 2010. South Africa was inspected in December 2010. Nation Last hosted Morocco 1988 South Africa On 29 January, during the 2011 CAF Super Cup, the CAF Board decided that Morocco would host the 2015 African Cup of Nations, while the 2017 edition would be held in South Africa. The four Morocco host cities which were scheduled to host the tournament were Rabat, Marrakesh, Agadir and Tangier, as announced by the CAF Executive Committee on 23 September 2013. Casablanca would serve as an alternative venue. Moroccan withdrawal In October 2014, the government of Morocco requested a postponement of the tournament due to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. After the matter was discussed at the Executive Committee meeting on 2 November 2014, CAF decided to keep the date of the tournament, while also asking for a clarification from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation of whether they still wish to host the tournament. On 8 November, Morocco failed to meet this deadline to confirm it would host the tournament. Three days later CAF confirmed that Morocco would not host the tournament and a new host would be chosen from a list of countries which have expressed interest. Morocco, who had previously qualified as hosts, were disqualified from participation at the tournament. CAF confirmed legal action against Morocco due to a contract signed in April 2014. Moroccan Sports Minister Mohamed Ouzzine said that CAF had falsely accused his country of `` refusing '' to host the tournament when it wanted it postponed, and justified the decision by citing that the World Health Organization gives every country the right to protect its citizens. On 6 February 2015, CAF announced that Morocco had been banned from the next two AFCON tournaments, fined 1 million US dollars, as well as demanding 9 million US dollars in compensation. However, the ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, meaning Morocco may enter the tournaments. Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and Sudan all declined to take over as hosts. Angola, the hosts of the 2010 edition, were spoken of as a potential replacement due to existing stadia and infrastructure in the country. However, a member of the Angolan Football Federation stated that it could not be possible as the new government budget did not include any tournaments. On 14 November 2014, CAF announced that Equatorial Guinea would host the tournament. Qualification Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Qualified Failed to qualify Withdrew, disqualified or did not enter Not part of CAF Qualification for the tournament were made up of four stages, three preliminary rounds and a final group stage. The 21 best - ranked teams were given a bye to the group stage, while the next 26 teams began play in the second preliminary round, and four lowest ranked teams started at the first round. The three preliminary rounds were a series of playoffs, with the winners advancing. 51 nations entered the tournament ( excluding initial hosts Morocco ). It was the competitive debut of South Sudan. Djibouti and Somalia declined to enter. Morocco would have automatically qualified as hosts ; however, after their refusal to host, they were expelled from the tournament by the CAF. Equatorial Guinea was chosen as the new host, and despite having played in the qualifiers and been disqualified due to fielding an ineligible player, they qualified for the tournament automatically. The defending champions Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament. Qualified teams The following sixteen teams qualified for the tournament. Country Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearance in tournament Equatorial Guinea * Hosts ! Hosts 03 ! 14 November 2014 02 ! 1 ( 2012 ) South Africa Group A * winners ! Group A winners 09 ! 15 November 2014 06 ! 8 ( 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013 ) Congo Group A runners - up ! Group A runners - up 11 ! 19 November 2014 04 ! 6 ( 1968, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1992, 2000 ) Algeria Group B * winners ! Group B winners 01 ! 15 October 2014 10 ! 15 ( 1968, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2013 ) Mali Group B runners - up ! Group B runners - up 16 ! 19 November 2014 05 ! 8 ( 1972, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Gabon Group C * winners ! Group C winners 07 ! 15 November 2014 03 ! 5 ( 1994, 1996, 2000, 2010, 2012 ) Burkina Faso Group C runners - up ! Group C runners - up 05 ! 15 November 2014 07 ! 9 ( 1978, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Cameroon Group D * winners ! Group D winners 06 ! 15 November 2014 11 ! 16 ( 1970, 1972, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 ) Ivory Coast Group D runners - up ! Group D runners - up 15 ! 19 November 2014 16 ! 20 ( 1965, 1968, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Ghana Group E * winners ! Group E winners 13 ! 19 November 2014 15 ! 19 ( 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Guinea Group E runners - up ! Group E runners - up 14 ! 19 November 2014 08 ! 10 ( 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1994, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012 ) Cape Verde Group F * winners ! Group F winners 02 ! 15 October 2014 01 ! 1 ( 2013 ) Zambia Group F runners - up ! Group F runners - up 10 ! 15 November 2014 14 ! 16 ( 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Tunisia Group G * winners ! Group G winners 04 ! 14 November 2014 13 ! 16 ( 1962, 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 ) Senegal Group G runners - up ! Group G runners - up 08 ! 15 November 2014 09 ! 12 ( 1965, 1968, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012 ) DR Congo Best third placed team ! Best third placed team 12 ! 19 November 2014 12 ! 16 ( 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2013 ) Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year. Venues Map all coordinates using : OpenStreetMap Google Maps Download coordinates as : KML GPX The four Equatorial Guinean cities selected to host the tournament were Malabo, Bata, Mongomo and Ebebiyín. Malabo and Bata were also host venues for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Screening for Ebola was given to all spectators attending matches. Bata Malabo Mongomo Bata Malabo Ebebiyín Mongomo Ebebiyín Estadio de Bata Nuevo Estadio de Malabo Estadio de Mongomo Estadio Mannuel Enguru Capacity : 41,000 Capacity : 15,250 Capacity : 15,000 Capacity : 8,000 Format Only the hosts got an automatic qualification spot, the other 15 teams qualified through qualification tournament. At the finals, the 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four teams each. The teams in each group played a single round robin. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal winners advanced to the semifinals. The semifinal losers played in the third place match, while the semifinal winners played in the final. Draw The finals draw was held on 3 December 2014 in Malabo. It was initially to be held on 26 November 2014 in Rabat before the change of host country. The 16 teams were divided into four pots based on the CAF Ranking, with the hosts Equatorial Guinea placed in Pot 1 automatically. The ranking was computed using the teams ' results in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers ( weighted by 2 ), 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals ( weighted by 3 ) and qualifiers ( weighted by 1 ), the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals ( weighted by 2 ) and qualifiers ( weighted by 0.5 ), the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals ( weighted by 1 ), and the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 Equatorial Guinea ( host ; assigned to A1 ) Ghana ( 48 pts ) Ivory Coast ( 44 pts ) Zambia ( 41 pts ) Burkina Faso ( 40 pts ) Mali ( 38 pts ) Tunisia ( 32.5 pts ) Algeria ( 28 pts ) Cape Verde ( 26.5 pts ) South Africa ( 23.5 pts ) Cameroon ( 23.5 pts ) Gabon ( 22 pts ) Guinea ( 19 pts ) Senegal ( 19 pts ) DR Congo ( 18 pts ) Congo ( 13 pts ) Match officials The following referees were chosen for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Referees Mehdi Abid Charef Juste Ephrem Zio Néant Alioum Noumandiez Doué Gehad Grisha Bamlak Tessema Weyesa Eric Otogo - Castane Bakary Gassama Joseph Lamptey Aboubacar Mario Bangoura Hamada Nampiandraza Koman Coulibaly Ali Lemghaifry Rajindraparsad Seechurn Bouchaïb El Ahrach Malang Diedhiou Bernard Camille Victor Gomes Med Said Kordi Janny Sikazwe Assistant referees Albdelhak Etchiali Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos Jean - Claude Birumushahu Oamogetse Godisamang Evarist Menkouande Yéo Songuifolo Hassan Egueh Yacin Tahssen Abo El Sadat Bedyer Angesom Ogbamariam Malik Alidu Salifu Aboubacar Doumbouya Marwa Range Redouane Achik Yahaya Mahamadou Peter Edibe Theogene Ndagijimana Djibril Camara El Hadji Malick Samba Zakhele Siwela Ali Waleed Ahmed Anouar Hmila Squads Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squads Each team could register a squad of 23 players. Group stage The group winners and runners - up advance to the quarter - finals. Tiebreakers The teams are ranked according to points ( 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss ). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order : Number of points obtained in games between the teams concerned ; Goal difference in games between the teams concerned ; Goals scored in games between the teams concerned ; If, after applying criteria 1 to 3 to teams concerned, two or three teams still have an equal ranking, criteria 1 to 3 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between these teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 5 to 7 will apply ; Goal difference in all games ; Goals scored in all games ; Drawing of lots. Group A Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group A Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification Congo 0 + 2 7 Advance to knockout stage Equatorial Guinea ( H ) 0 + 2 5 Gabon 0 − 1 Burkina Faso 0 − 3 Source : CAF Rules for classification : Tiebreakers ( H ) Host. 17 January 2015 Equatorial Guinea 1 -- 1 Congo Estadio de Bata, Bata Burkina Faso 0 -- 2 Gabon Estadio de Bata, Bata 21 January 2015 Equatorial Guinea 0 -- 0 Burkina Faso Estadio de Bata, Bata Gabon 0 -- 1 Congo Estadio de Bata, Bata 25 January 2015 Gabon 0 -- 2 Equatorial Guinea Estadio de Bata, Bata Congo 2 -- 1 Burkina Faso Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín Group B Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group B Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification Tunisia 0 + 1 5 Advance to knockout stage DR Congo 0 0 0 Cape Verde 0 0 0 Zambia 0 − 1 Source : CAF Rules for classification : Tiebreakers 18 January 2015 Zambia 1 -- 1 DR Congo Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín Tunisia 1 -- 1 Cape Verde Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín 22 January 2015 Zambia 1 -- 2 Tunisia Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín Cape Verde 0 -- 0 DR Congo Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín 26 January 2015 Cape Verde 0 -- 0 Zambia Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín DR Congo 1 -- 1 Tunisia Estadio de Bata, Bata Group C Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group C Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification Ghana 0 + 1 6 Advance to knockout stage Algeria 0 5 + 3 6 Senegal − 1 South Africa 0 6 − 3 Source : CAF Rules for classification : Tiebreakers 19 January 2015 Ghana 1 -- 2 Senegal Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Algeria 3 -- 1 South Africa Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo 23 January 2015 Ghana 1 -- 0 Algeria Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo South Africa 1 -- 1 Senegal Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo 27 January 2015 South Africa 1 -- 2 Ghana Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Senegal 0 -- 2 Algeria Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Group D Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Group D Guinea and Mali finished level on the second spot after the group stage, making the first drawing of lots needed at the tournament since 1988. Unlike some other international tournaments, 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament regulations would not use fair - play criteria or a penalty shoot - out after the teams met on the last match day to determine the final group ranking. Both head coaches have openly criticised the regulations. Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification Ivory Coast 0 + 1 5 Advance to knockout stage Guinea 0 0 0 Mali 0 0 0 Cameroon 0 − 1 Source : CAF Rules for classification : Tiebreakers Notes : ^ Jump up to : Guinea and Mali were tied on head - to - head record, overall goal difference, and overall goals scored. A drawing of lots took place on 29 January 2015, 16 : 00 local time at the Hilton Malabo. Guinea selected the lot for 2nd place and advanced to the quarter - finals as the group runner - up. 20 January 2015 Ivory Coast 1 -- 1 Guinea Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Mali 1 -- 1 Cameroon Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo 24 January 2015 Ivory Coast 1 -- 1 Mali Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Cameroon 1 -- 1 Guinea Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo 28 January 2015 Cameroon 0 -- 1 Ivory Coast Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Guinea 1 -- 1 Mali Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Knockout stage Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage Match Ghana vs Guinea In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, extra time shall be played ( two periods of 15 minutes each ) and followed, if necessary, by kicks from the penalty mark to determine the winner, except for the play - off for third place where no extra time shall be played. On 27 January 2015, the CAF announced that they had relocated the venues of two of the quarter - finals : The venue of quarter - final 2 is relocated from Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín to Estadio de Bata, Bata. The venue of quarter - final 3 is relocated from Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo to Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo. The kick - off time of quarter - finals 2 and 4 are also changed from 20 : 00 to 20 : 30 local time. Quarter - finals Semi-finals Final 31 January -- Bata Congo 4 February -- Bata DR Congo DR Congo 1 February -- Malabo Ivory Coast Ivory Coast 8 February -- Bata Algeria Ivory Coast ( pen. ) 0 ( 9 ) 1 February -- Malabo Ghana 0 ( 8 ) Ghana 5 February -- Malabo Guinea 0 Ghana 31 January -- Bata Equatorial Guinea 0 Third place Tunisia 7 February -- Malabo Equatorial Guinea ( a.e.t. ) DR Congo ( pen. ) 0 ( 4 ) Equatorial Guinea 0 ( 2 ) Scores after extra time are indicated by ( a.e.t. ), and penalty shoot - out are indicated by ( pen. ). All times local, WAT ( UTC + 1 ). Quarter - finals Congo v DR Congo 31 January 2015 17 : 00 Congo 2 -- 4 DR Congo Doré 55 ' Bifouma 62 ' Report Mbokani 65 ', 90 + 1 ' Bokila 75 ' Kimwaki 81 ' Estadio de Bata, Bata Attendance : 31,670 Referee : Bernard Camille ( Seychelles ) Tunisia v Equatorial Guinea 31 January 2015 20 : 30 Tunisia 1 -- 2 ( a.e.t. ) Equatorial Guinea Akaïchi 70 ' Report Balboa 90 + 3 ' ( pen. ), 102 ' Estadio de Bata, Bata Attendance : 41,000 Referee : Rajindraparsad Seechurn ( Mauritius ) Ghana v Guinea 1 February 2015 17 : 00 Ghana 3 -- 0 Guinea Atsu 4 ', 61 ' Appiah 44 ' Report Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Attendance : 14,500 Referee : Janny Sikazwe ( Zambia ) Ivory Coast v Algeria 1 February 2015 20 : 30 Ivory Coast 3 -- 1 Algeria Bony 26 ', 68 ' Gervinho 90 + 4 ' Report Soudani 51 ' Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Attendance : 15,000 Referee : Bakary Gassama ( Gambia ) Semi-finals DR Congo v Ivory Coast 4 February 2015 20 : 00 DR Congo 1 -- 3 Ivory Coast Mbokani 24 ' ( pen. ) Report Y. Touré 20 ' Gervinho 41 ' Kanon 68 ' Estadio de Bata, Bata Attendance : 30,000 Referee : Néant Alioum ( Cameroon ) Ghana v Equatorial Guinea 5 February 2015 20 : 00 Ghana 3 -- 0 Equatorial Guinea J. Ayew 42 ' ( pen. ) Mubarak 45 + 1 ' A. Ayew 75 ' Report Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Attendance : 15,520 Referee : Eric Otogo - Castane ( Gabon ) Third place play - off DR Congo v Equatorial Guinea 7 February 2015 17 : 00 DR Congo 0 -- 0 Equatorial Guinea Report Penalties Mabwati Mabidi Mbemba Mongongu 4 -- 2 Balboa Fabiani Juvenal Ellong Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Attendance : 15,520 Referee : Gehad Grisha ( Egypt ) Note : no extra-time was played Final Main article : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Final Ivory Coast v Ghana 8 February 2015 20 : 00 Ivory Coast 0 -- 0 ( a.e.t. ) Ghana Report Penalties Bony Tallo Aurier Doumbia Y. Touré Kalou K. Touré Kanon Bailly Die Barry 9 -- 8 Wakaso J. Ayew Acquah Acheampong A. Ayew Mensah Badu Afful Baba Boye Razak Estadio de Bata, Bata Attendance : 32,857 Referee : Bakary Gassama ( Gambia ) Winners 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Champions Ivory Coast 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Champions Ivory Coast Second title Statistics Goalscorers 3 goals Thievy Bifouma Dieumerci Mbokani Javier Balboa André Ayew Ahmed Akaïchi 2 goals Jeremy Bokila Christian Atsu Wilfried Bony Gervinho Max Gradel 1 goal Nabil Bentaleb Faouzi Ghoulam Riyad Mahrez Islam Slimani El Arbi Hillel Soudani Aristide Bancé Benjamin Moukandjo Ambroise Oyongo Héldon Férébory Doré Fabrice Ondama Prince Oniangue Yannick Bolasie Joël Kimwaki Emilio Nsue Ibán Edú Pierre - Emerick Aubameyang Malick Evouna Kwesi Appiah Jordan Ayew John Boye Asamoah Gyan Wakaso Mubarak Kévin Constant Ibrahima Traoré Mohamed Yattara Seydou Doumbia Wilfried Kanon Yaya Touré Bakary Sako Modibo Maïga Sambou Yatabaré Mame Biram Diouf Kara Mbodj Moussa Sow Oupa Manyisa Mandla Masango Thuso Phala Yassine Chikhaoui Mohamed Ali Moncer Emmanuel Mayuka Given Singuluma 1 own goal Thulani Hlatshwayo ( playing against Algeria ) Awards Pepsi Highest Scorer André Ayew Player name Games played Goals scored Assists Minutes played Source André Ayew 6 Thievy Bifouma Ahmed Akaïchi Dieumerci Mbokani 6 Javier Balboa 6 Orange Man of the Competition Christian Atsu Best Goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo Nissan Goal of the tournament Christian Atsu vs. Guinea ( 3rd goal of the match ) Samsung Fair Player of the Tournament Kwesi Appiah Fair Play of the tournament DR Congo CAF Team of the Tournament Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Sylvain Gbohouo Robert Kidiaba ( tie ) Serge Aurier Harrison Afful Kolo Touré André Ayew Yaya Touré Max Gradel Yannick Bolasie Gervinho Christian Atsu Wilfried Bony Discipline In the final tournament, a player was suspended for the subsequent match in the competition for either getting red card or accumulating two yellow cards in two different matches. The disciplinary panel has the ability to increase the automatic one match ban for a red card ( e.g. for violent conduct ). Single yellow card cautions were erased at the conclusion of the group stage, and were not carried over to the knockout stage. The following players were or are suspended during the final tournament -- for one or more games -- as a result of red cards or yellow card accumulations : Player Offence Suspension Florent Rouamba Carried over from qualification Group A vs Gabon Donashano Malama Group B vs DR Congo Eric Mathoho Group C vs Algeria Reneilwe Letsholonyane Seydouba Soumah Group D vs Ivory Coast Gervinho vs Guinea Group D vs Mali Group D vs Cameroon Diosdado Mbele vs Congo vs Burkina Faso Group A vs Gabon Boris Moubhibo vs Equatorial Guinea vs Gabon Group A vs Burkina Faso Cheick Tioté vs Guinea vs Mali Group D vs Cameroon Naby Yattara vs Ghana Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Ibán vs Tunisia vs Ghana Third place play - off vs DR Congo Tournament team rankings As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot - outs are counted as draws. Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Final result Ivory Coast 6 0 9 + 5 12 Champions Ghana 6 10 + 7 13 Runner - up DR Congo 6 7 7 0 7 Third place Equatorial Guinea ( H ) 6 5 5 0 9 Fourth place 5 Congo 6 6 0 7 Eliminated in Quarter - finals 6 Algeria 0 6 5 + 1 6 7 Tunisia 5 5 0 5 8 Guinea 0 6 − 3 9 Senegal − 1 Eliminated in Group stage 10 Mali 0 0 0 11 Cape Verde 0 0 0 12 Gabon 0 − 1 13 ( T ) Cameroon 0 − 1 13 ( T ) Zambia 0 − 1 15 South Africa 0 6 − 3 16 Burkina Faso 0 − 3 Source : CAF ( H ) Host. Marketing Sponsorship The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations has one title sponsor and seven official sponsors as shown below. Title sponsor Official sponsors Orange S.A. IFD Kapital Group Pepsi Pan Atlantic Exploration Doritos Nissan Samsung Standard Bank Media Broadcasting Territory Channel Ref Arab world beIN Sports Asia Fox International Channels Australia beIN Sports Benin ORTB Brazil SporTV Cape Verde RTC Colombia Senal Colombia, Win Sports Europe Eurosport France Canal+ Group Ghana GTV / KTV India Sony SIX Ivory Coast RTI Japan NHK Mali ORTM New Zealand SKY Sports Senegal RTS South Africa SABC Sub-Saharan Africa SuperSport United Kingdom British Eurosport ITV United States beIN Sports Match Ball The new Adidas Africa Cup Ball is called Adidas Marhaba ( meaning Welcome, in Arabic ). The Africa Cup 2015 Ball was unveiled November 26, 2014 following the controversy about the host situation for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Mascot The official mascot of the tournament was `` Chuku Chuku '', a porcupine. Opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations took place on 17 January, at the Estadio de Bata, before the opening match of the tournament between hosts Equatorial Guinea and Congo. Controversies Drawing of lots Guinea and Mali finished with equal records in Group D, thus the drawing of lots was required to choose who would advance into the quarter - finals. Prior to the draw, Mali coach Henri Kasperczak said that the tournament `` must find a more sporting way ( to decide who advances ), fairer... This does not correspond to a sporting spirit ''. His Guinean counterpart Michel Dussuyer said that neither team deserved to be eliminated in that manner. Guinea won the draw, causing a complaint from Boubacar Diarra, president of the Malian FA. Issa Haytou, president of CAF, defended the process as the only option. The CAF Disciplinary Committee 's South African President Raymond Hack stated that CAF 's Member Associations had chosen the option of picking lots ahead of penalties six months prior. He also said that the `` Fair Play ( disciplinary ) table was to be used but the countries object to that and they said the table must be taken out of the rules. Had the Fair play table been used, Guinea would have qualified ahead of Mali with a better disciplinary record. Tunisia vs. Equatorial Guinea refereeing Wadie Jary, the president of the Tunisian Football Federation, claimed that there was a bias against Tunisia following their controversial quarter - final defeat to Equatorial Guinea on 31 January 2015. He was banned from CAF competitions and activities. Rajindraparsad Seechurn, the Mauritian referee who gave a penalty to Equatorial Guinea in that match, was banned from officiating for six months and removed from CAF 's elite register of referees. The Tunisian FA was fined $50,000 for confronting the referee during the match, in addition to damage to changing room facilities, while Equatorial Guinea was fined $5,000 for inadequate security at the stadium. Equatorial Guinea vs. Ghana crowd incidents During the semi-final fixture between host nation of Equatorial Guinea and Ghana several incidents occurred between the home fans, visiting fans and police. At the half - time break with Ghana leading the game 2 - 0, the Ghanaian players were protected from hostile Equatoguinean fans by police using plastic shields. During the 82nd minute in the second half, fans rushed onto the pitch and missiles were thrown at the Ghanaian substitute players. The players moved onto the pitch to escape the missiles. The travelling Ghanaian fans were also targets and took shelter near the goal of the pitch, out of the range of those throwing objects. A helicopter was dispatched and used to disperse spectators out of the stadium by hovering at a low height above them. The Ghanaian FA described the incident as being similar to a `` war zone ''. Equatorial Guinea 's Police force had fired smoke bombs into the stands in an attempt to bring order. The game was stopped for about 30 minutes, before recommencing for a few minutes. CAF imposed a US $100 k fine on FEGUIFUT and were informed an ' official match ' in Equatorial Guinea must be held ' behind closed doors ' after the tournament 's completion. DR Congo defender Gabriel Zakuani stated that he would rather his team forfeit the third - place playoff instead of play in front of Equatorial Guinea 's fans, an opinion which was not shared by his manager Florent Ibengé. References ^ Jump up to : `` Final tournamnet to run from 17th January to 8th February ; semi-finals separated ''. cafonline.com. 26 April 2014. 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Retrieved 11 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` 2015 Nations Cup : Nigeria fail to qualify for finals ''. BBC Sport. 19 November 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` EQUATORIAL GUINEA DESIGNATED HOST COUNTRY OF ORANGE AFCON 2015 ''. CAF. 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ Hughes, Ian ( 18 January 2015 ). `` Zambia 1 - 1 DR Congo ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Regulations of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations '' ( PDF ). Confederation of African Football. Jump up ^ `` Ghana, Algeria, South Africa, Senegal in Group of Death ''. CAF. 4 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` Decisions made by the CAF Executive Committee, convened January 24th 2014 '' ( PDF ). Cafonline.com. 26 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` Orange AFCON 2015 : Procedure for the draw ''. CAF. 1 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` Orange African Cup of Nations 2015 -- Equatorial Guinea Official Draw on December 3rd 2014 Draw Procedures and Seeded Teams '' ( PDF ). CAF. Jump up ^ `` Afcon 2015 : Mali and Guinea managers criticise drawing of lots ''. BBC Sport. 28 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Procedure for the draw between Mali and Guinea ''. CAF. 28 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Guinea to face Ghana in quarter final ''. CAF. 29 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Jump up ^ Hills, David. `` Africa Cup of Nations 2015 : Guinea and Mali draw lots -- live ! ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Quarterfinal matches of Ebebiyin and Mongomo relocated respectively to Bata and Malabo ''. CAF. 27 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Andre Ayew top - scores Afcon competition ''. Ghana FA official website. Retrieved 8 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Atsu, Ayew win mvp and top scorer awards ''. CAFonline.com. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Orange AFCON 2015 Awards and Best XI ''. CAF. 12 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Start list : Burkina Faso 0 -- 2 Gabon '' ( PDF ). Confederation of African Football. 16 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malama suspended for 2015 AFCON opener ''. MTN Football. 20 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Confirmed : Mathoho Out Of AFCON Opener ''. Soccer Laduma. 6 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Ebola - hit Guinea made ' very welcome ' at Cup of Nations ''. Daily Mail. 19 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Two - game suspension for Gervinho ''. CAF. 22 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Sponsors ''. Retrieved 24 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Adidas Marhaba - 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Ball Revealed ''. Footy Headlines. 26 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Timeline Photos - CAF / Africa Cup of Nations - Facebook ''. facebook.com. Jump up ^ `` Mali and Guinea coaches unhappy at drawing lots for AFCON quarter - final place ''. The National. Agence France - Presse. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` African Cup of Nations 2015 : Guinea win cruel ' drawing of lots to reach quarter - finals ''. The Independent. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` '' Member countries chose drawing of lots `` - CAF ''. CitiFM Online. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` SUSPENSION OF THE PRESIDENT AND ULTIMATUM FOR TUNISIAN FEDERATION ''. CAF. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Africa Cup of Nations : Referee banned for six months ''. BBC Sport. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Africa Cup of Nations : Semi-final was ' war zone ', says Ghana FA ''. BBC. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ Ames, Nick. `` Ghana players, fans pelted with missiles in win over Equatorial Guinea ''. Guardian ( UK ). Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` SANCTIONS FOLLOWING THE INCIDENTS IN MATCH 30 GHANA - EQUATORIAL GUINEA ''. CAF. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Africa Cup of Nations riot : DR Congo 's Zakuani wants game off ''. BBC Sport. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Orange Africa Cup Of Nations, Equatorial Guinea 2015, CAFonline.com 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Stages Group stage Group A Group B Group C Group D Knockout stage Final General information Qualification Squads Statistics Venues Bata Malabo Mongomo Ebebiyín Africa Cup of Nations Tournaments Sudan 1957 United Arab Republic 1959 Ethiopia 1962 Ghana 1963 Tunisia 1965 Ethiopia 1968 Sudan 1970 Cameroon 1972 Egypt 1974 Ethiopia 1976 Ghana 1978 Nigeria 1980 Libya 1982 Ivory Coast 1984 Egypt 1986 Morocco 1988 Algeria 1990 Senegal 1992 Tunisia 1994 South Africa 1996 Burkina Faso 1998 Ghana / Nigeria 2000 Mali 2002 Tunisia 2004 Egypt 2006 Ghana 2008 Angola 2010 Gabon / Equatorial Guinea 2012 South Africa 2013 Equatorial Guinea 2015 Gabon 2017 Cameroon 2019 Ivory Coast 2021 Guinea 2023 Qualification 1957 1959 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 2015 2017 2019 Finals 1957 1959 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 2015 2017 Squads 1957 1959 1962 1963 1965 1968 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2013 2015 2017 Statistics Appearances Records and statistics No qualification took place in 1957 and 1959 as places were given by invitation only. In 1959 and 1976, there was no final ; the article is about the decisive match of the final group stage. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2015_Africa_Cup_of_Nations&oldid=825301455 '' Categories : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations 2015 in African football 2015 in Equatorial Guinea Africa Cup of Nations International association football competitions hosted by Equatorial Guinea January 2015 sports events February 2015 sports events Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with dead external links from February 2017 Use dmy dates from November 2014 Lists of coordinates Geographic coordinate lists Articles with Geo Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 12 February 2018, at 16 : 51. 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Question: who won the african cup of nations 2015
Answer: The Ivory Coast