Who can still dethrone Emilio Nsué, still top scorer in the CAN?

Author of five goals during the group stage, Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsué is still the top scorer in the competition before the semi-finals, despite the elimination of Nzalang in the round of 16. Only the Nigerian Ademola Lookman still seems able to take the title from him.

Published on: 02/05/2024 – 7:43 p.m.

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Football is a team sport which often tends to highlight individualities. The ranking of the top scorers is often closely scrutinized and CAN 2024 is no exception.

For the moment, Emilio Nsué, despite the elimination of Equatorial Guinea by Guinea in the round of 16, is still first in the ranking. And few of his pursuers are still in the running.

Read also Find the table for the final phase of CAN 2024

Émilio Nsué, top scorer?

The top scorer in the CAN (before the semi-finals) plays in the 3rd Spanish division: the Equatorial Guinean Emilio Nsue, aged 34, is in the lead with five goals scored in four matches.

A hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau (4-2) and a double against Ivory Coast (4-0) allowed the striker and captain to get ahead of his competitors with a more prestigious pedigree than his own. .

In an interview with France 24, he made it a personal objective. There is no doubt that he would have preferred it to be by taking Equatorial Guinea further in the competition, but the lead taken could prove sufficient.

Ademola Lookman, only competitor?

Indeed, his direct pursuers, the Angolan Gelson Dala and the Egyptian Mostafa Mohamed, who scored four goals each, are already eliminated. Same observation for five of the six players to have scored three goals, Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria), Mabululu (Angola), Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Mohamed Bayo (Guinea), Lassine Sinayoko (Mali).

Also read: Nigeria, DR Congo, Ivory Coast and South Africa: a throne for four at CAN 2024

That leaves Ademola Lookman. After a goalless group stage, the Nigeria striker is back strong in the rankings. He scored twice in the round of 16 against Cameroon, then the winning goal against Angola in the quarterfinals. And he still has two matches to play with the semi-final on Wednesday February 7, then the small or grand final. He will need to score two goals to equalize Nsué’s score and thus surpass him. Indeed, in the event of a tie, it is the number of assists offered to a teammate which is the deciding factor.

Two other competitors could join the fight for the Golden Boot of the competition: Themba Zwane (South Africa) and Yoane Wissa (DR Congo), who both scored two goals. However, it would take at least three goals for the first to overtake Emilio Nsué thanks to his assist, and four for the second.

Read alsoThe program for the CAN 2024 semi-finals

The complete ranking

5 buts :

1. Emilio Nsue Lopez, Equatorial Guinea

4 buts :

2. Mostafa Mohamed, Egypt

Gelson Dala, Angola

3 buts :

4. Ademola Lookman, Nigeria

Baghdad Bounedjah, Algeria

Mabululu, Angola

Lassine Sinayoko, The United States

Bertrand Traore, Burkina Faso

Mohamed Bayo, Guinea

2 buts :

10. Themba Zwane, South Africa

Mohammed Kudus, Ghana

Yoane Wissa, RD Congo

Jordan Ayew, Ghana

Ryan Mendes, Cap-Vert

Lamine Camara, Senegal

Habib Diallo, Senegal