AFCON 2025: Records, legends, and milestones ahead of Morocco tournament

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) remains the pinnacle of African football, where nations forge legacies and players etch their names into history.

Since its inception, the tournament has showcased the continent’s finest talent, producing moments of brilliance, legendary performances, and record-breaking feats.

With the 2025 edition set to kick off in Morocco on December 21, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the competition’s most significant milestones, dominant teams, and extraordinary players.

Most successful nations

Egypt holds the crown as the most successful nation in AFCON history, having won the tournament seven times. Their unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010 cemented their status as Africa’s powerhouse.

The Pharaohs also hold the record for the most tournament appearances (28), most wins (62), and most goals scored (168).

Cameroon follows with five titles, enjoying dominance in the 1980s and early 2000s, including back-to-back wins in 2000 and 2002.

Ghana, an early pioneer, claimed four titles in the 1960s and 1970s and shares with Egypt the record for most final appearances (nine).

Nigeria and Ivory Coast have both lifted the trophy three times, highlighting their consistency on the continental stage.

Leading goalscorers

AFCON has seen some of the continent’s finest forwards shine. Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o is the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals, while Ivory Coast’s Laurent Pokou scored 14, famously netting five goals in a single match against Ethiopia in 1970—a record for a single game.

Nigeria’s Rashidi Yekini, affectionately known as “The Goals Father,” contributed 13 goals, and Egypt’s Hassan El-Shazly tallied 12, including multiple hat-tricks in 1963 and 1970.

Other prolific scorers include Patrick Mboma, Hossam Hassan, and Didier Drogba, each with 11 goals.

Appearances and longevity

Player longevity has also defined AFCON. Rigobert Song (Cameroon), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt), Andre Ayew (Ghana), and Youssef Msakni (Tunisia) share the record for most tournament appearances at eight.

Ayew and Song hold the joint record for most matches played with 36. The oldest player to feature in the tournament was Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary, aged 44 years and 21 days in the 2017 final.

In contrast, Gabon’s Chiva Star Nzighou made history as the youngest player and goalscorer at 16 years, two months, and 30 days during AFCON 2000.

Remarkable scoring feats

AFCON has produced moments of extraordinary individual achievement. The fastest goal was scored by Egypt’s Ayman Mansour after just 23 seconds against Mozambique in 1994.

Mulumba N’Daye of Zaire scored nine goals in a single tournament in 1974, while Laurent Pokou (1970) and Vincent Aboubakar (2021) each scored eight goals in one edition.

Coaching and tactical milestones

The tournament has also been a stage for legendary coaches. Hassan Shehata (Egypt) and Charles Gyamfi (Ghana) each won three AFCON titles, while Frenchman Herve Renard became the first coach to lift the trophy with two different nations: Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.

Mahmoud El-Gohary (Egypt) and Stephen Keshi (Nigeria) are notable for winning AFCON as both players and coaches.

Additional historic records

Other remarkable records include Egypt’s 25-match unbeaten streak from 2004 to 2017 and Ivory Coast’s 12-11 victory over Cameroon in the longest penalty shootout in AFCON history (2006).

Tunisia has featured in the most consecutive tournaments, appearing in 17 editions from 1994 to 2025.

As AFCON 2025 approaches, Morocco prepares to host the continent’s elite footballers, promising new legends, remarkable goals, and unforgettable matches.

History is ever-present in the tournament, but the next chapter belongs to players and teams ready to challenge existing records and forge their own legacies.