The group stage of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) concluded on Wednesday, setting the stage for the quarter-finals next weekend. This year’s tournament, which began on January 10, has already delivered an exciting spectacle and set new benchmarks for attacking play.
Across 24 matches, 62 goals have been scored, averaging 2.5 per game—a record for this edition of CHAN and higher than the 2010, 2013, and 2015 African Cup of Nations. It matches the attacking intensity of the 2012 tournament, with only the first round of the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana surpassing it, when 70 goals were netted in 24 games.
Tunisia and DR Congo lead the tournament in scoring, each netting eight goals, while Zambia remains the only team yet to concede. Tunisian striker Ahmed Akaichi is the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, tied with Elvis Chibsom Chikatara, whose side has since been eliminated.
**Group Goals Breakdown:**
* Group A: 15 goals
* Group B: 17 goals
* Group C: 21 goals
* Group D: 9 goals
**Notable Results:**
* Tunisia 5-0 Niger
* Ivory Coast 4-1 Gabon
* Morocco 4-1 Rwanda
* Nigeria 4-1 Niger
* DR Congo 3-0 Ethiopia
Eight of the 24 matches ended in draws, including one each in Groups A and B and three each in Groups C and D.
With the group stage concluded, the eight quarter-finalists are ready to battle it out for a place in the semi-finals, with attacking flair and record-breaking performances already marking this CHAN as one of the most entertaining editions in recent memory.
