Our AFCON 2015 coverage continues with a look at the top African Cup of Nations goalscorers over the course of the competition’s 58-year history.

by Matt Carter

Africa Cup of Nations all time top scorers

Francileudo Santos – Tunisia (10 goals)

Francileudo Santos’ stature in Tunisian folklore was secured back at AFCON 2004, where his four tournament strikes – including one in the final against Morocco – proved a fundamental factor to the Carthage Eagles lifting the continental crown on home soil, a triumph which remains the North Africans’ sole success to date.

Mengistu Worku – Ethiopia (10 goals)

The undisputed standard bearer of Ethiopian football, Mengistu Worku was synonymous throughout the Walias’ golden period during the 1960s. His 10 AFCON strikes covered seven tournaments, although there is little doubt that Worku’s seminal moment arrived in the 1962 final where a brace helped propel Ethiopia to a maiden crown at the expense of Egypt following extra-time.

Kalusha Bwalya – Zambia (10 goals)

The embodiment of the Zambian game, Kalusha Bwalya’s 10 AFCON goals barely touch the surface of his true impact. The iconic figure spearheaded the Chipolopolo to an emotional runners-up placing at the 1994 AFCON, which was achieved despite Zambia tragically losing their entire squad to a devastating plane crash just a year earlier – a flight Bwalya only missed through club commitments.

In the subsequent tournament Bwalya shared the golden boot, whilst his legend was further enhanced by a FIFA World Player of the Year nomination in 1996 which arrived despite the now Zambian FA president being based outside of Europe.

Joel Tiéhi – Ivory Coast (10 goals)

Joel Tiehi was present for Ivory Coast’s solitary AFCON victory in 1992; however his goal scoring exploits only came to prominence later down the line. In particular the 1994 and 1998 editions, tournaments which both saw the former Le Havre man find the net on four separate occasions – aiding the Elephants to third place in the former of those competitions.

Ndaye Mulamba – DR Congo (10 goals)

Research the 1974 Africa Cup of Nations and the name Ndaye Mulamba is the name who will come up consistently. The forward contributed an astounding nine goals to Zaire’s title winning journey, an individual record which still stands and one which earned Mulamba both the player of the tournament award and the National Order of the Leopard accreditation by President Mobutu in his homeland. Mulamba struck all four blows in a final with Zambia which required a replay, after the initial skirmish ended 2-2 after extra-time.

Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (11 goals)

African Player of the Year in 2006 and 2009 the Africa Cup of Nations is arguably the sole black spot on Didier Drogba’s illustrious career. A consistent source of goals without ever genuinely igniting on the continental stage, the Chelsea striker’s most prosperous returns were three goals in both the 2006 and 2012 tournaments – incidentally the two occasion in which Drogba has acquired a runners-up medal, missing penalties in both finals.

The 2006 tournament will be a specific source of frustration where, after steering his nation into the final courtesy of producing the sole goal against Nigeria, Drogba pivotally missed Ivory Coast’s first spotkick in an eventually fatal shootout with Egypt.

Hossam Hassan – Egypt (11 goals)

Only Rigobert Song and countryman Ahmed Hassan have graced more AFCONs than the timeless Hossam Hassan, who has remarkably tasted continental success in three separate decades having been part of victorious Pharaohs sides in 1986, 1998 and 2006. On a personal level 1998 undoubtedly signified Hossam at the peak of his powers. The striker, alongside South Africa’s Benni McCarthy, was awarded the golden boot following seven tournament strikes – including two against hosts Burkina Faso in the semi-final and a group stage treble which dismantled Zambia.

Patrick Mboma – Cameroon (11 goals)

A central figure to Cameroon’s infamous glory days of the early 2000s, Patrick Mbomba was joint top scorer at both 2002 and 2004 Cup of Nations. The 2000 African Footballer of the Year can boast AFCON winners medals from the 2000 and 2002 editions, and on top of that Mboma was also a prominent member of Cameroon’s momentous Olympic triumph at Sydney 2000.

Hassan El-Shazly – Egypt (12 goals)

Egypt’s leading all-time Africa Cup of Nations scorer, Hassan El-Shazly scored six goals in the 1963 AFCON – the pinnacle of the Tersana legend’s international exploits. Despite holding the record for goals by an Egyptian at Africa’s grandest stage, the AFCON is however a competition doused in frustration for El-Shazly.

Throughout El-Shazly’s international career, Egypt fell three times at the semi-final stage – twice at the hands of Sudan. An extra-time defeat to the Sudanese in 1970 cut particularly deep and Ivory Coast felt the full brunt of El-Shazly’s frustration in the subsequent third place playoff in the form of a hat-trick.

Rashidi Yekini – Nigeria (13 goals)

The late Rashidi Yekini is arguably Nigeria’s greatest ever goalscorer. In three tournaments, between the period of 1990 and 1994, Yekini contributed 13 goals – topping the goal rankings in both 1992 and 1994. A runner-up in 1990 and frustratingly left to clutch a bronze medal two years later, 1994 finally represented fulfilment for the Super Eagles and Yekini – who was undeniably the star turn in that success.

Elected player of the tournament, the legendary striker scored three times during the knockout rounds and also sealed shootout success over Ivory Coast in the last four. Fittingly Yekini was also the first Nigerian to score in a World Cup.

Laurent Pokou – Ivory Coast (14 goals)

Long before the likes of Drogba and Yaya Toure arrived on the scene, Laurent Pokou had already established himself as the acknowledged godfather of Ivorian football. For two Africa Cup of Nations Pokou tore the continent apart, contributing a combined 14 goals in a mere eight fixtures – including five in a single clash with West African neighbours Sierra Leone.

Pokou’s destruction couldn’t quite fire Ivory Coast to the ultimate prize, with the Elephants falling at the semi-final hurdle in both 1965 and 1968, although the prolific Pokou did everything in his power and beyond to avert the second of those defeats, contributing an eventually futile brace as Ivory Coast fell victim to Ghana after extra-time. Despite the lack of silverware Pokou’s influence on Ivorian football is simply immeasurable.

Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (18 goals)

Maligned and lambasted as a disruptive influence by many, it’s easy to neglect both just what a lethal finisher Samuel Eto’o is and the success he brought the Indomitable Lions. Twice an Africa Cup of Nations winner via successes in 2000 and 2002 respectively, Eto’o eclipsed Pokou as early as 2008.

In both that tournament and the proceeding one in 2006, the former Inter Milan and Barcelona forward took home the Golden Boot following five goals in each – whilst another four arrived when he announced himself as a continental star back in 2000.

In many ways there is a frustration that Eto’o wasn’t able to put his tally out of reach given that Cameroon humiliatingly missed both the 2012 and 2013 editions, although by that point the diminutive striker’s legend had already been scripted. The greatest Africa Cup of Nations scorer of all time, Samuel Eto’o’s record will take some beating.

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Matt Carter is a frequent contributor to Just Football specialising in African football. Follow him on Twitter @Matt432

(main photo credit: rocor via Flickr Creative Commons)