The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations witnessed a historic goal-scoring spree, setting a new record in the competition’s history. The final clash between hosts Ivory Coast and Nigeria, which ended with a 2-1 victory for the Elephants, contributed to the tournament’s total of three goals.
Here are the top 6 highest-scoring Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, with the 2023 edition claiming the lead:
1. Ivory Coast 2023:
The 34th edition in Ivory Coast became the third tournament to surpass 100 goals, establishing a new record with 119 goals. Considered one of the greatest in the continent’s history, Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue Lopez secured the Golden Boot with five goals.
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2. Egypt 2019:
The 2019 edition in Egypt marked the first time a century of goals was achieved. The tournament, featuring 24 teams and 52 games, concluded with 102 goals. Odion Ighalo claimed the Golden Boot with five goals, and Algerian winger Riyadh Mahrez’s late semi-final strike against Nigeria was the 100th goal.
3. Cameroon 2021:
The 2021 edition aimed to surpass the 2019 goal-scoring record but fell short by two goals. In the second edition with an expanded 24-team format and 52 games, the tournament reached precisely 100 goals. Vincent Aboubakar secured the Golden Boot with eight goals.
4. Ghana 2008:
The 26th edition held in Ghana in 2008 nearly reached the 100-goal mark despite featuring only 32 games. Concluding with 99 goals, legendary Samuel Eto’o claimed the top scorer award with eight goals.
5. Burkina Faso 1998:
The 1998 AFCON was the first to exceed the 90-goal mark, producing a total of 93 goals. South Africa’s Benni McCarthy and Egypt’s Hossam Hassan shared the Golden Boot with seven goals each.
6. Tunisia 2004:
Host Tunisia secured their first title in 2004, defeating Morocco in the final. The tournament witnessed 88 goals, and four players—Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Frederic Kanoute, Patrick Mboma, and Francileudo Santos—shared the Golden Boot with four goals each.