The 1959 African Cup of Nations was the second edition of the Africa Cup of Nations,[1][2] the football championship between the national teams of Africa, organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

It was hosted and won by the United Arab Republic, a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria.

[citation needed] With only three teams, the format changed into a round robin group, but the results were the same, the United Arab Republic won over Ethiopia 4−0 and over Sudan 2−1.

The Sudanese finished second, defeating Ethiopia 1−0.

Mahmoud El-Gohary, who would later become manager of the Egyptian team between 1988 and 2002, would be the top scorer of this edition of the tournament.