AFCON 2025: 7 Footballers Who Could Win the Golden Boot in Morocco

As all of Africa turns their attention to the Kingdom of Morocco for the AFCON 2025, the continent’s most clinical finishers are locked in a high-stakes race for the prestigious Golden Boot. 

Historically, a tally of 5 to 6 goals is the "magic number" for victory. This edition features some of Africa's greatest goal scorers in their scoring peaks and others playing for teams that could propel them to glory. 

Without further ado, here are the seven players most likely to finish as the tournament's top scorer:

There is no point teasing the reader with names of likely candidates before serving up the main course. The Super Eagles star is the most lethal active African striker in the world and the favourite to win the Golden Boot. 

He only managed one goal in AFCON 2023. However, that is in the context of a defensive Jose Peseiro set-up. Under Eric Chelle’s attack-focused style, however, the Galatasaray star has a strong chance of emulating his compatriot Odion Ighalo, who triumphed in 2019 (5 goals).  Also, Ekong's retirement means he will fully assume penalty duty, a huge boost to his potential tally. 

Despite his incredible goalscoring record in the Premier League, winning three Golden Boot titles, Salah has never managed to replicate his prolific scoring rate at AFCON.  

He only has seven AFCON goals in total, having played four tournaments, and has never scored more than two goals in a Cup of Nations edition. Also, he scored only one goal in the last Ivory Coast. 

However, the last season in the Premier League—in which he scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists—is clear evidence of how unstoppable a motivated Mohamed Salah running out of time can be. 

This will highly likely be Salah's last AFCON. Propelled by his lack of success for his country, the race against time, and his poor form at Liverpool, the Egyptian could hit higher numbers than Vincent Aboubakar’s eight in the 2021 edition. 

Since switching allegiance from Spain to Morocco in 2024, Brahim Diaz has established himself as a talismanic presence for the Atlas Lions.  

He enters the AFCON in incredible goalscoring form for Morocco. He was the top scorer in the AFCON qualifiers with seven goals, three behind Osimhen's record tally from the 2023 qualifying campaign. 

If he continues his current impressive scoring run of form for Walid Regragui’s side, the Real Madrid star could depose Emiliano Nsue as AFCON’s King of Goals. 

Aubameyang is one of the greatest African strikers of his generation. However, like Salah, he has not shown goalscoring dominance at the AFCON. 

He has only managed six AFCON goals, partly due to Gabon's weak squads and inability to make it deep into the competition. However, their performance during the World Cup qualifiers, in which Aubameyang scored seven goals, suggests they have a squad capable of competing. 

Also, the former Arsenal man has been in incredible form since his return to European football, with 10 goal contributions (5 goals and 5 assists) for Marseille this season. 

South Africa play the most exciting brand of football on the continent, and Foster leads the line of that attack. 

While he has not shown a track record of incredible goalscoring prowess, with only two goals for Burnley this season, two in the AFCON Qualifiers, and two in the World Cup Qualifiers, he is a potential winner that cannot be overlooked. 

Aboubakar's eight goals in 2021 were the anomaly; the 2015 and 2017 AFCON Golden Boots were won with three goals. If this AFCON follows such lines, a few important goals for Bafana Bafana could put Foster in the running. 

Senegal are one of the top contenders for the AFCON, and if they are to go far in the tournament, goals from Nicolas Jackson, leading the line, will prove important. 

While Mane remains the main attacking hub of the team, taking most of the set pieces, Jackson is the focal point of the attack and is primed to be an unlikely hero at the AFCON. 

Given the penchant of North African teams to perform highly at AFCON tournaments set in the region, it is important to look at another country from the region. 

The 2019 winners Algeria are due for a strong tournament showing, after their disappointing performances in the last two tournaments.

Wolfsburg’s Mohamed Amoura is the team's current goal getter. He scored 10 goals in the World Cup qualifiers and also led in assists. Amoura could fuel a strong performance for Wolfsburg and pick up the Golden Boot gong while at it.