The race for the Golden Boot at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is intensifying as the tournament heads into the decisive semi-final stage, with some of Africa’s biggest stars leading the scoring charts.
Morocco’s Brahim Díaz currently sits at the top of the standings with five goals, playing a pivotal role in the Atlas Lions’ impressive run on home soil.
The Real Madrid attacker has combined flair with efficiency, making him one of the standout performers of the tournament so far.
Hot on his heels are Victor Osimhen of Nigeria and Mohamed Salah of Egypt, both with four goals apiece.
Osimhen has spearheaded the Super Eagles’ attack with authority and physical presence, while Salah’s experience and composure have once again proven decisive for the Pharaohs.
Nigeria boast another contender in Ademola Lookman, who has netted three goals, underlining the Super Eagles’ attacking depth.
He is joined on three goals by Lassine Sinayoko of Mali, Ayoub El Kaabi of Morocco, Riyad Mahrez of Algeria, and Amad Diallo of Ivory Coast, all of whom have delivered crucial contributions for their respective nations.
With only a handful of matches remaining, the Golden Boot race remains wide open. As the semi-finals and final approach, every goal could prove decisive—not only in determining AFCON’s top scorer, but also in shaping who lifts the continental crown.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
