The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is in full swing, and so is the competition for the coveted Golden Boot award. The top scorer of the tournament will join the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, and Vincent Aboubakar in the hall of fame of African football.
So far, the leading contender for the prize is Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue, who has netted five goals in four games, including a hat-trick against Gabon.
However, Nsue is not the only one with an eye for goal. Angola’s Gelson Dala and Egypt’s Mostafa Mohamed are hot on his heels with four goals each. Dala scored a brace in Angola’s 4-0 win over Namibia, while Mohamed has been Egypt’s main threat, scoring in every game so far.
Three players are tied for the third spot with three goals each: Algeria’s Baghdad Bounedjah, Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traoré, and Angola’s Mabululu Paciência. Bounedjah is the reigning African Player of the Year and has helped Algeria reach the round of 16 as the top seed of Group A. Traoré is a familiar name for fans of the English Premier League, where he plays for Aston Villa. He scored a stunning free-kick against Tunisia in Burkina Faso’s 2-1 win. Mabululu is another Angolan striker who has impressed with his pace and power, scoring a hat-trick against Zimbabwe.
Six players are tied at the fourth spot with two goals each: Nigeria’s Ademola Lukman, Ghana’s Jordan Ayew, Senegal’s Limini Camara, Cape Verde’s Mendes da Graca, Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus and South Africa’s Themba Zwane are all in th
With eight more games to go, the race for the Golden Boot is still wide open. Who will emerge as the top scorer of AFCON 2023? Will Nsue hold on to his lead, or will someone else catch up with him? Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting action from Côte d’Ivoire.