With 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) approaching, some top attackers has graced the stage in time past with goals and historic moments.
In preparation for the next AFCON this month, it is imperative to look back at the all time goal scorers at the tournament since inception in 1957.
Egypt has won the most AFCON titles with seven trophies followed by Cameroon with five as both have representatives on the list of AFCON top goal scorers.
11. Ndaye Mulamba (Democratic Republic of Congo) – 10 Goals
The later forward is his country’s top goal scorer at the AFCON with ten goals, nine of which he scored in a tournament (AFCON 1974).
He played for his country when it was still known as “Zaire”.
In 1974 Mulamba played for Zaire in both the AFCON in Egypt and the FIFA World Cup in West Germany.
In Egypt he scored nine goals, still a record for the highest goal scorer at a single AFCON as Zaire won the tournament.
Mulamba was named Player of the Tournament and was awarded the National Order of the Leopard by President Mobutu Sese Seko.
11. Andre Ayew (Ghana) – 10 Goals
The only active player on the list, Andre Dede Ayew, the son of legendary Ghanaian player, Abdei Pele Ayew.
He scored his ten goals over six AFCONs since 2010 when he scored a goal during the Black Stars 1-0 win over Burkina Faso.
He went on to score nine more goals at 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2019, 2021 AFCONs.
10. Francileudo Santos (Tunisia) – 10 Goals
Born in Brazil, Francileudo Santos became a naturalised Tunisian before their hosting of the 2024 AFCON, and was joint top scorer with four goals as they won it.
He also played at two more such tournaments, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
At the AFCON 2006 in Egypt, Tunisia reached the quarter-finals. Santos scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Zambia in the first game and another in a 2-0 victory against South Africa in the next.
Santos also went to the AFCON 2008 in Ghana, another quarter-final finish. He scored twice in a 3- win over South Africa in the second group game.
9. Joel Tiehi (Cote d’Ivoire) – 10 Goals
Joel Tiehi also scored 10 goals for the Ivory Coast before retiring.
With his national team, he played at four straight AFCONs. He played at the 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998 AFCON, winning the 1992 edition.
8. Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia) – 10 Goals
Zambian legend, Bwalya is also part of the top goal scorers at AFCON with 10 strikes after appearing in multiple tournaments, including six editions of the AFCON.
After the 1993 national team air crash he escaped, Kalusha took on the mantle of spearheading the revival of the national side the following year, captaining the side to the runners up spot at AFCON 1994 in Tunisia – where they succumbed to Nigeria; this was to be the peak of his own career and Zambian football for a long time to come.
The national team finished in third place at the next edition of the AFCON in South Africa in 1996, with Kalusha winning the Golden Boot Award as the top scorer at the tournament.
7. Patrick Mboma (Cameroon) – 11 Goals
Mboma is the fourth all-time top goal-scorer for the Cameroon senior men’s national team with 33 goals in 57 matches.
He led the Indomitable Lions to victories at the 2000 and 2002 AFCONs. He was named African Footballer of the Year for his efforts in 2000.
He scored a memorable overhead kick against France in 2000.
6. Hossam Hassan (Egypt) – 11 Goals
A prolific goalscorer, Hossam Hassan is Egypt’s all-time top scorer with 83 goals in 176 appearances.
He represented the Pharaohs of Egypt at seven AFCONs and is the 15th most capped player in men’s international football.
Aged 40, Hassan was captain of the national team at AFCON 2006, and played three times and netted once for the hosts, winning the last of his three continental competitions.
5. Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire) – 11 Goals
An Ivory Coast international between 2002 and 2014, Drogba captained the national team from 2006 until his retirement from the Ivory Coast team and is the nation’s all-time top goalscorer with 65 goals from 105 appearances, contributing 11 goals at the Africa Cup of Nations.
He was part of the Ivory Coast teams that reached the final of the AFCON in 2006 and 2012, but were beaten on penalties on both occasions.
4. Hassan El Shazly (Egypt) – 12 Goals
Late Hassan El Shazly was described as a “devastating shooter” and “lethal with both feet”.
Apart from being a club legend with Egyptian club, Tersana, he also represented the Egyptian national team, and scored six goals at AFCON 1963..
With 12 goals, he is Egyptian top goal scorer at the AFCON.
3. Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria) – 13 Goals
Scoring 37 goals for the Super Eagles in 62 appearances, Yekini is the national record goalscorer.
Added to this, he is Nigeria’s leading goal score at the Africa Cup of Nations with 13 goals during a career that span more than two decades.
Yekini helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia where he also topped the goal charts and was named best player of the competition.
2. Laurent Pokou (Cote d’Ivoire) – 14 Goals
Pokou was a member of the Ivory Coast national team and was twice the highest goalscorer of the AFCON, scoring six goals in 1968 tournament in Ethiopia and eight in the AFCON 1970 in Sudan, including five in one match against Ethgiopia, which Ivory Coast won 6-1.
This performance gave him his nickname L’homme d’Asmara (the man of Asmara).
With 14 total goals, he is also the tournament’s second highest overall goalscorer.
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) – 18 Goals The AFCON all-time goal scorer with 18 goals, Eto’o won the AFCON in 2000 and 2002 and participated at six AFCONs. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with 18 goals, and is Cameroon’s all time leading scorer and third most capped player, with 56 goals in 118 caps.
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