With just three days to go until the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 kicks off, African football once again turns its gaze to a tournament where history presses down on every touch of the ball.
On Sunday, as hosts Morocco take on Comoros in Rabat, a fresh chapter will begin – one shaped by nearly seven decades of records, legends and defining moments.
AFCON has always been more than a competition. It is a proving ground for longevity, consistency, dominance and flashes of pure brilliance. Some players etched their names into history through repeated appearances. Others did so with goals that decided matches, tournaments and even national destinies.
As 24 nations arrive in Morocco carrying ambition and belief, these records remain the reference points every player will pursue, consciously or not, over the weeks ahead.
Most appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations
8 tournaments
Record holders
- Rigobert Song (Cameroon): 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Ahmed Hassan (Egypt): 1996–2010
- Andre Ayew (Ghana): 2008–2023
- Youssef Msakni (Tunisia): 2010–2023
Featuring at eight AFCON tournaments is a rare mark of longevity at the highest level. Cameroon’s Rigobert Song and Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan set the standard across eras, while Andre Ayew and Youssef Msakni carried that tradition into the modern game.
Each became a symbol of their time, adapting to tactical change, physical demands and growing competition. As Morocco 2025 begins, they remain the benchmark for durability in African football.
Most matches played at AFCON finals
36 matches
Record holders
- Rigobert Song (Cameroon)
- Andre Ayew (Ghana)
Song and Ayew also share the record for most appearances in AFCON finals matches, with 36 each. Song’s total reflects Cameroon’s sustained success around the turn of the century, while Ayew’s tally underlines Ghana’s consistency across multiple generations.
At team level, Egypt lead all nations with 111 AFCON matches, reinforcing their status as the tournament’s most enduring powerhouse.
Most AFCON titles won as a player
4 titles
Record holders
- Ahmed Hassan (Egypt): 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Essam El Hadary (Egypt): 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
No players embody AFCON dominance quite like Ahmed Hassan and Essam El Hadary. Both were pillars of Egypt’s historic run of three consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010, having already lifted the trophy in 1998.
Hassan’s command of midfield and El Hadary’s authority in goal defined the most successful era in AFCON history — a level of sustained excellence yet to be repeated.
Most goals scored in a single AFCON tournament
9 goals
Record holder
- Pierre Ndaye Mulamba (DR Congo / Zaire) – 1974
At the 1974 AFCON in Egypt, Mulamba delivered a goal-scoring performance that has stood untouched for over half a century. His nine goals carried Zaire to the title, including all four goals across the two-match final replay against Zambia.
He also claimed both the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards, sealing his place among AFCON’s most decisive figures. For every striker arriving in Morocco, this remains the ultimate individual target.
Most goals scored by a player in a single AFCON match
5 goals
Record holder
- Laurent Pokou (Côte d’Ivoire) – 1970
During the 1970 AFCON in Ethiopia, Pokou scored five times in a 6–1 victory over the hosts, a performance that earned him the nickname “L’homme d’Asmara”, after the city where the match was played.
It remains the greatest individual scoring display in a single AFCON game, turning Pokou into a continental legend overnight.
Highest-scoring match in AFCON history
Egypt 6–3 Nigeria (1963)
Key facts
- Total goals: 9
- Venue: Baba Yara Stadium, Ghana
- Tournament: 1963 AFCON
The most prolific match in AFCON history came in 1963, when Egypt edged Nigeria 6–3. The game was remarkable for producing two hat-tricks, both scored by Egyptians — Hassan El-Shazly and Reda.
It also marked a milestone for Nigeria, with Asuquo Ekpe netting their first-ever AFCON goal. More than 60 years on, no match has matched its combination of drama and attacking spectacle.
Fastest goal in AFCON history
23 seconds
Record holder
- Ayman Mansour (Egypt) – 1994
Mansour struck just 23 seconds into Egypt’s match against Gabon at the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, a game the Pharaohs went on to win 4–0.
As Morocco 2025 gets underway, this is among the first records that could fall — proof that history can be rewritten in an instant.
Most goals in AFCON history
18 goals
Record holder
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Across six tournaments between 2000 and 2010, Eto’o became AFCON’s all-time leading scorer. He won two titles and claimed the Golden Boot twice, defining a golden era for Cameroon.
His tally remains the ultimate measure of sustained excellence across multiple editions.
Most hat-tricks at the AFCON
2 hat-tricks
Record holder
- Hassan El-Shazly (Egypt)
El-Shazly is still the only player to score two AFCON hat-tricks, both against Nigeria — first in 1963 and again in 1970. His six goals at the 1963 tournament earned him the Golden Boot and secured his place in AFCON’s early folklore.
As Morocco 2025 begins…
When Morocco welcome Comoros on Sunday, the pursuit of history resumes. A few records may fall. Most will stand firm.
But every match will unfold in the shadow of the legends who shaped Africa’s greatest football stage – and defined what true greatness looks like.
