Samuel Eto’o still reigns as AFCON goal king

Samuel Eto’o remains one of Africa’s greatest football legends and a prominent figure in Cameroon’s success in the Africa Cup of Nations. 

Born on 10 March 1981 in the village of Nkon, his international career stretched from 1997 to 2014, packed with records that are hard to match.

His most famous achievement in AFCON history is his unmatched scoring record. Eto’o struck 18 goals across six tournaments (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010), making him the all-time top scorer in the competition, with many of those goals coming at decisive moments for Cameroon. In both the 2006 and 2008 editions he finished as top scorer, hitting five goals each time.

On the collective level, Eto’o led Cameroon to back-to-back AFCON titles in 2000 and 2002, cementing the team’s status as a continental powerhouse. He is also Cameroon’s all-time leading marksman with 56 goals in 118 internationals, another national record.

After retiring, Eto’o moved into administration and in 2025 was re-elected president of the Fecafoot.

With AFCON 2025 about to start in Morocco, his journey continues to inspire young African players who dream of golden careers and records that rarely come twice.