Have a look at who is leading the AFCON 2023 Golden Boot race as the competition goes through brilliant goal scorers
The biggest football tournament in the continent got underway on Saturday, January 13, and players were quickly establishing themselves in the competition for the coveted Golden Boot.
AFCON 2023-2024 Golden boot race, odds and top goal scorers stats list
Rain problems in Ivory Coast caused the tournament, which was scheduled for this summer, to be postponed until January 2024. As a result, in order to play for their country, several elite players in European leagues have been compelled to leave their home clubs in the middle of the season.
With eight goals, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar won the 2019 Top Goalscorer award (the Confederation of African Football uses that title instead of “Golden Boot”), and the forward for Beşiktaş will be trying to win it again.
However, with Victor Osimhen of Nigeria, Sébastien Haller of the Ivory Coast, and Mohamed Salah of Egypt all providing serious threats, the competition will be tough. Although Salah has scored 51 goals in 91 games for Egypt in the international arena, he has only managed six goals at the AFCON prior to this year. As Egypt advances through the competition, his prospects of winning the Golden Boot will be crucial.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Federation has stated that Salah, who had a hamstring strain during Egypt’s encounter against Ghana on Thursday, would miss two games at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, he has not sustained a more serious injury.
Striker Emilio Nsue of Equatorial Guinea, who defeated Guinea-Bissau 4-2 on Thursday with a hat-trick, has set his eyes on winning the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations golden boot. In Cote d’Ivoire, the 34-year-old claimed the first treble of the competition, becoming the first player to score three since Soufiane Alloudi of Morocco in 2008.
AFCON’s goal catalogue better than the euros and we’re not even finished with the group stages https://t.co/v73MzTwGdv
— SG (@afcgully) January 20, 2024
Top scorers at the 2023 AFCON
The trio of players with just one goal to their name are Seko Fofana of Al-Nassr, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, and Victor Osimhen of Napoli.
- Emilio Nsue (Equatorial Guinea): 3 goals
- Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria): 3 goals
- Lamine Camara (Senegal): 2 goals
- Mohammed Kudus (Ghana): 2 goals
- Mohamed Mustafa (Egypt: 2 goals
- Gelson Dala (Ghana): 2 goals
- Lassine Sinayoko (Mali): 2 goals
Africa Cup of Nations 2024 top goalscorer odds
| Player | Nation | Top Scorer odds (FanDuel — USA) |
Club |
| Mohamed Salah | Egypt | +500 | Liverpool (ENG) |
| Sadio Mane | Senegal | +600 | Al Nassr (KSA) |
| Victor Osimhen | Nigeria | +700 | Napoli (ITA) |
| Youssef En-Nesyri | Morocco | +850 | Sevilla (ESP) |
| Sebastien Haller | Ivory Coast | +1100 | Borussia Dortmund (GER) |
| Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | +1200 | Al Ahly (KSA) |
| Vincent Aboubakar | Cameroon | +1200 | Besiktas (TUR) |
| Inaki Williams | Ghana | +1400 | Athletic Bilbao (ESP) |
| Jordan Ayew | Ghana | +1600 | Crystal Palace (ENG) |
| Hakim Ziyech | Morocco | +1800 | Chelsea (ENG) |
| Baghdad Bounedjah | Algeria | +1800 | Al Sadd (QAT) |
| Islam Slimani | Algeria | +1800 | Coritiba (BRA) |