The Africa Cup 1965 ( English : African Cup of Nations , French : Coupe d'Afrique des Nations ) was the fifth game of the African continental championship in football and took place from November 12th to 21st in Tunisia . Organized by the African continental football association Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), six teams from Ethiopia , Ivory Coast , Ghana , DR Congo , Senegal and Tunisia took part. The game was played with two groups of three teams each. The two group winners contested the final, the runners-up the game for 3rd place. As usual, a qualification to reduce the field of ten applicants to six finalists took place, with hosts Tunisia and defending champions Ghana automatically qualifying. The final round matches were played in Tunis at the Stade Chedli Zouiten , in Bizerta at the Stade Ahmed Bsiri , in Sfax at the Stade Taïeb Mhiri and in Sousse at the Stade Municipal Bou Ali-Lahouar .
The Ghana team managed to defend their 1963 title and became the first country to become African champions in football for the second time.
Ten teams were to play four finalists in two groups of five. The group winners and runners-up should qualify for the final round. However, since six teams withdrew their participation, the qualification was canceled. Senegal, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia qualified for the finals in Tunisia.
The national soccer teams of Morocco and Nigeria withdrew, which qualified the United Arab Republic. The United Arab Republic later also withdrew due to strained diplomatic relations with Tunisia after a speech by Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba in Jericho .
1The match between Kenya and the Abyssinian Empire ended 3: 2, but was rated 0: 2 due to an objection by the Abyssinian national team, as Kenya used two ineligible players, Moses Wabwayi and Stephen Baraza .
After the United Arab Republic withdrew, there should have been a playoff for runners-up, with the winner replacing the United Arab Republic. Sudan turned down the invitation to the playoff
In addition, there should have been a game between the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Guinea in Accra ( Ghana ) on October 31, 1965 , shortly before Guinea also withdrew, whereby the Democratic Republic of the Congo qualified for the finals.