Zambia have played in eighteen editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Historically, Zambia was seen as one of the weaker sides in Southern Africa. Zambia's greatest achievement was winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.[1] [2]
| Year | Round | Position | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1957 to  1963 | Not affiliated to CAF | ||||||||
 1965 | Did not enter | ||||||||
 1968 | |||||||||
| 1970 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
 1972 | |||||||||
 1974 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | |
| 1976 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1978 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
 1980 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
 1982 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1986 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
 1988 | Withdrew | ||||||||
 1990 | Third place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
 1992 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1994 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | |
 1996 | Third place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 6 | |
 1998 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2000 | 13th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||
 2002 | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2004 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2006 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2008 | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||
 2010 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |
  2012 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2013 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 13th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 2017 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2019 | |||||||||
| 2021 | |||||||||
| 2023 | Group stage | 20th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2025 | To be determined | ||||||||
  2027 | |||||||||
| Total | 1 title | 18/34 | 69 | 27 | 19 | 23 | 83 | 70 | |