Overview:
Coming to the semi-finals of AFCON 2025, there have been a total of 119 goals scored in 48 games, an average of 2.48 goals per match.
Goals! Goals! Goals! Goals spice up football duels. They decide contests and dictate upon results.
Goals are scored in varying fashions from simple tap-ins, headers, bullet shots, curls, chips, acrobatic overhead kicks, deflections, melees and yes, own goals.
Virtually, any part of the body can score a goal with the exception of hands.
Players, officials and fans wildly celebrate legitimate goals, scored in whichever style.
At the on-going 35th edition of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament in Morocco, goals have indeed rained.
Thus far, there have been a total of 119 goals scored in 48 games, an average of 2.48 goals per match.
Sharp shooters:
Morocco’s forward Brahim Abdelkader Diaz who features at Real Madrid Football Club in Spain is the tournament top scorer so far with 5 goals netted.
He scored against Comoros, Mali, Zambia (group stages), Tanzania (round of 16) and Cameroon at the quarter-final..
Diaz is closely followed by the duo of Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Victor James Osimhen (Nigeria); both on four goals apiece.
Five players have netted three goals each; to include Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Amad Diallo (Cote D’Ivoire), Lassine Sinayoko (Mali), Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco) and Ademola Lookman (Nigeria).
A couple of players have two goals apiece including Ibrahim Maza (Algeria), Christian Kofane (Cameroon), Gael Kakuta (Democratic Republic of Congo), Omar Marmoush (Egypt), Bazoumana Toure (Cote D’ Ivoire), Geny Catamo (Mozambique), Akor Adams (Nigeria), Raphael Onyedika (Nigeria), Pape Gueye (Senegal), Nicolas Jackson (Senegal), Cherif Ndiaye (Senegal), Oswin Appollis (South Africa), Lyle Foster (South Africa) and Elias Achouri (Tunisia).
The championship comes to an end on Sunday, 18th January 2026 at the Prince Moulay Abdellaziiz stadium in Rabat city.
The four last standing countries now at the semi-finals include the hosts Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and the tournament record champions Egypt.
Morocco will face Nigeria in Rabat city and Senegal shall battle Egypt in the other semi-final duel in Tanger city this Wednesday, 14th January 2026.
It remains too close to predict the successful teams that will advance to the final on Sunday.
For the successful semi-finalists, it is time to re-energize, plan afresh, strategize and put the pieces together ahead of the explosive semi-final clashes.
Coming to the semi-finals proper with a cumulative record attendance of 1,117,846 spectators (an average of 23,288 per match.
With the two semi-finals in Rabat and Tanger, a third-place duel in Casablanca as well as the grand finale in Rabat, more goals are anticipated.