The 1972 African Cup of Nations was the eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF).

It was hosted by Cameroon, in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala.

The People's Republic of the Congo won its first championship, beating Mali in the final 3−2.

The 8 qualified teams are: The competition was played in two venues in Yaoundé and Douala.

If two or more teams finished level on points after completion of the group matches, the following tie-breakers were used to determine the final ranking: