ABIDJAN: It’s all systems go across Ivory Coast on Saturday, marking the opening of the 34th AFCON; anticipation swirls around not just the new champions but also the potential rewriting of history.
Here’s a quick glance at some key records to keep an eye on throughout the 34th AFCON tournament.
TEAM ACHIEVEMENTS
- Most titles: Egypt holds the throne with an unprecedented seven AFCON crowns, followed by Cameroon [five] and Ghana four. Can Ivory Coast, champions of 1992 and 2015, lift their third title on home soil?
- Consecutive victories: Egypt’s three consecutive triumphs from 2006 to 2010 remain unmatched. This is the only time an African team has done that. Will Senegal, the defending champions, retain it this time around and aim to equal that record?
- Newcomers’ glory: Only three nations have lifted the trophy in their debut appearance – Egypt [1957], Ghana [1963] and South Africa; Bafana Bafana [1996].
INDIVIDUAL BRILLIANCE
- Goalscoring Prowess: Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon reigns supreme with 17 career AFCON goals. Can any of the current stars surpass his legacy?
- Single-match scoring record: Ivorian Laurent Pokou’s five-goal haul in 1970 stands as the record for individual goals in a single AFCON match. Will anyone break this vintage record?
- Most tournament appearances: Rigobert Song of Cameroon and Ahmed Hassan of Egypt, alongside the rising star Dede Ayew of Ghana, hold this record. While Song, who played a total of 36 matches, and Hassan have already featured in eight, the 2023 edition is Ayew’s eight.
- Most goals in a single tournament: Mulumba Ndaye of Zaire [now DR Congo] scored nine in 1974. Will we see anyone surpass that record?
- Fastest goal: The fastest goal in the tournament’s history came in 23 seconds off the boot of Ayman Mansour of Egypt. The Pharaohs won that particular match 4-0 against Gabon in 1994.
COACHING RECORDS
- Winner as player and coach: Mahmoud Al Gohari [Egypt] won it as a player in 1957 and as a coach in 1998. Stephen Keshi [Nigeria] lifted it as a player in 1994 and in 2013 in the dugout.
- Coach with most titles: Charles Gyamfi [Ghana] won it three times in 1963, 1965, and 1982. Hassan Shehata [Egypt] also lifted it thrice in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
- Coach with most appearances. Claude LeRoy has been at AFCON nine times, sitting in the dugout 38 times. He guided Cameroon in 1986 and 1988, Senegal in 1990 and 1992 and DR Congo in 2006. In 2008, he went with Ghana before returning with Congo in 2013 and 2015. His most recent dance was with Togo in 2017.
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