Nigeria close in on new record at 2025 AFCON

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Akor Adams of Nigeria celebrates at the final whistle during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal game between Algeria and Nigeria at Marrakech Stadium in Morocco on 10 January 2025 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Nigeria have two games left at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco to set a new goalscoring record for the tournament.

Their two goals in Saturday’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Algeria in Marrakech lifted their tournament tally to 14, only two shy of the record that the Ivory Coast set in 2008.

Nigeria scored eight goals in finishing top of Group C and then added four more in a one-sided win over Mozambique in the round of 16 in Fes.

The Ivorians netted their 16 goals in six matches in 2008 when they finished in fourth place.

Zambia’s 15 goal haul in the1996 finals in South Africa was the record before that and was matched by Egypt in 2008 and 2010 when the Pharaohs emerged winners on both occasions in Ghana and then Angola.

At this year’s tournament, the other semi-finalists Senegal have 11 goals and Egypt and Morocco have scored nine goals in their five matches each played to date.

Most goals scored in a single Africa Cup of Nations finals
16 – Ivory Coast (2008)
15 – Zambia (1996), Egypt (2008 and 2010)
14 – Zaire (1974), Morocco (2004), Cameroon (2008 and 2021), Nigeria (2025)