As the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 draws closer to its conclusion in Côte d’Ivoire, the leaderboard for the tournament’s top scorers has taken shape, with Mustafa Mohamed leading the charts and an exciting opportunity awaiting a Nigerian star.
With the prestigious continental championship approaching its final stages, attention has turned to the performances of the standout players who have graced the tournament since its kickoff on January 13th, culminating on February 11th.
The final showdown is set to feature Nigeria against the host nation, Côte d’Ivoire, in the AFCON 2023 final this Sunday, while Saturday will witness the third-place playoff between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At present, the top spot in the AFCON 2023 top scorers’ list is occupied by Emilio Nsue, the star of Equatorial Guinea, with 5 goals, despite his team’s elimination in the round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to Guinea.
Following closely behind are Mustafa Mohamed of Egypt and Gelson Dala of Angola, each with 4 goals to their names.
Despite Egypt’s early exit from the tournament in the round of 16 at the hands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola’s elimination in the quarter-finals following a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria, Mohamed and Dala have remained prominent figures in the goal-scoring charts.
Behind them, six players have all notched up 3 goals each in the AFCON 2023, with only one of them still in contention for the title. Ademola Lookman, who has reached the final with Nigeria, has the opportunity to add to his tally against Côte d’Ivoire.
Joining Lookman are five other players with 6 goals in total in AFCON 2023: Lassana Sinayoko (Mali), Mohamed Bayo (Guinea), Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria), Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso), and Christovao Bassingia (Angola).
With the AFCON 2023 reaching its climax, the battle for the Golden Boot remains fiercely contested, promising excitement and drama until the final whistle.
