AFCON 2025 Sets New Records As Salah, Mané and Nations Rewrite History

AFCON 2025 Sets New Records As Salah, Mané and Nations Rewrite History

By Admin 

The 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), staged in Morocco, delivered a landmark tournament that rewrote the competition’s record books, with standout performances from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané highlighting an event defined by goals, milestones and controversy.

According to statistics compiled by AceOdds.com, the 2025 tournament set a new record for total goals scored, with 121 goals recorded across the competition. The figure surpassed the previous high of 119 goals set during the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.

Egypt captain Mohamed Salah emerged as one of the tournament’s most significant figures, becoming the first Egyptian player to score in five separate AFCON tournaments. The Liverpool forward found the net in the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025 editions, scoring four goals in Morocco to bring his overall AFCON tally to 11.

That total places Salah joint fifth on the competition’s all-time scorers list and level with Hossam Hassan as Egypt’s second-highest goalscorer at AFCON, behind only Hassan El-Shazly’s record of 12 goals. Hassan currently serves as Egypt’s head coach.

Salah also joined an exclusive group of players who scored in every AFCON tournament in which they appeared while making at least four appearances. He shares the distinction with Samuel Eto’o, Kalusha Bwalya, Didier Drogba, Rashidi Yekini and Joël Tiéhi.

Further underlining his impact, Salah set a new record for the latest goal ever scored in AFCON history, netting in the 120th minute plus stoppage time during Egypt’s match against Benin. He also became the first player to score against 11 different national teams at the tournament, including Ghana, Morocco, Ivory Coast and South Africa.

Senegal’s Sadio Mané also etched his name into AFCON history by becoming the first player to record 20 goal contributions at the tournament, combining 11 goals and nine assists. The Al Nassr forward added two goals during the 2025 edition as Senegal claimed their second continental title with a 1–0 extra-time victory over hosts Morocco in the final.

Mané was named Player of the Tournament and played a pivotal role in persuading Senegal’s players to return to the pitch after they briefly walked off in protest over a controversial penalty decision late in regulation time. The 33-year-old later suggested the final could mark his last AFCON appearance.

On the national front, Egypt extended several long-standing tournament records. The Pharaohs made their 27th AFCON appearance, the most in the competition’s history, and increased their records for matches played (118), matches won (64) and goals scored (184). Egypt defeated defending champions Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals before falling to Senegal in the semi-finals and finishing fourth after losing the bronze-medal match to Nigeria.

Nigeria secured third place with a win over Tunisia, extending their record as the most decorated nation in AFCON history. The Super Eagles now boast 17 medals—four gold, four silver and nine bronze—the latter representing the most third-place finishes by any nation.

Ivory Coast, champions in 2023 and hosts of that edition, extended their record for most goals conceded in AFCON history, now standing at 117 after allowing five goals in the 2025 tournament. The Elephants were eliminated by Egypt in the quarter-finals.

Ivory Coast and DR Congo also extended their joint record for the most matches lost at AFCON, with both nations now on 31 defeats. Tunisia, meanwhile, maintained their remarkable streak of 17 consecutive AFCON appearances, having qualified for every tournament since 1994, though they exited in the group stage.

The final itself was marred by controversy. Morocco, seeking a first AFCON title since 1976, missed a decisive penalty in the 93rd minute through Brahim Díaz, who had been the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals. Senegal went on to score the winning goal in extra time through Pape Gueye.

The incident prompted strong reactions, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino describing Senegal’s walkoff as unacceptable, while the Confederation of African Football (CAF) opened disciplinary proceedings. Morocco’s football federation announced plans to lodge formal complaints with both FIFA and CAF.

Despite the dramatic conclusion, the tournament was widely praised for its organization and quality. Salah described it as the most professionally organized competition he had experienced in Africa.

AFCON 2025 was held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, making it the first edition staged during the Christmas and New Year period. The scheduling adjustment was made to avoid a clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup. The tournament featured 24 teams across nine venues in six Moroccan cities.

Notable absentees included four-time champions Ghana, who failed to qualify for the first time since 2004. Comoros, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe all returned after missing the previous edition.

The next Africa Cup of Nations will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027. From 2028 onward, the tournament will transition to a four-year cycle, aligning with the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship calendars.