The 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco produced a series of historic records, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane leading a cast of players and nations into the tournament’s record books, according to data compiled by AceOdds.com.
The 2025 edition broke the overall tournament record for most goals scored, with 121 goals finding the net across the competition. The previous record stood at 119 goals, set at the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.
Mohamed Salah became the first Egyptian player to score in five different AFCON tournaments, finding the net in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025. The Liverpool forward scored four goals during the 2025 edition, bringing his career total to 11 AFCON goals and placing him in a four way tie for fifth place on the all time scoring list.
Salah also entered exclusive company by joining five other players with at least four AFCON appearances who managed to score in every tournament they participated in. He shares that distinction with Samuel Eto’o, Kalusha Bwalya, Didier Drogba, Rashidi Yekini and Joel Tiehi.
The Egyptian star now ties Hossam Hassan as the second highest Egyptian goalscorer at AFCON with 11 goals, trailing only Hassan El Shazly’s record of 12 goals. Hassan is currently Egypt’s head coach.
Salah broke the record for the latest goal in AFCON history, including extra time, when he scored in the 120th minute plus four minutes of stoppage time during Egypt’s match against Benin. The strike came in the final seconds of extra time, surpassing all previous late goal records at the tournament.
Perhaps most remarkably, Salah became the first and only player to score against 11 different national teams at AFCON. His victims include Ghana, Burkina Faso, DR Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), Uganda, Guinea Bissau, Morocco, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Benin and Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, Sadio Mane of Senegal made history by becoming the first player to register 20 goal contributions at AFCON, combining 11 goals and nine assists. The milestone came after the Al Nassr forward added two more goals during the 2025 tournament, which saw Senegal claim their second continental title by defeating hosts Morocco one nil in the final.
Mane, who was named Man of the Competition, played a crucial role in persuading Senegal’s players to return to the field after they walked off in protest of a controversial penalty decision in the dying moments of regular time. The 33 year old later indicated the final could be his last AFCON appearance.
On the team side, Egypt extended multiple long standing records. The Pharaohs made their 27th AFCON appearance, more than any other nation, while also extending their records for most matches played at 118, matches won at 64, and overall goals scored at 184. Egypt defeated defending champions Ivory Coast in the quarter finals before losing to Senegal in the semi finals and finishing fourth after a bronze medal match defeat to Nigeria.
Nigeria secured bronze by defeating Tunisia, extending their record as the nation with the most AFCON medals. The Super Eagles now have 17 medals in total, including four golds, four silvers and nine bronzes. Egypt sits second with 13 medals, while Ghana has 10.
Nigeria’s ninth bronze medal also represents the most third place finishes by any nation in AFCON history. The result came after Morocco defeated Nigeria in a dramatic semi final that saw goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerge as the hero.
Ivory Coast, the 2023 champions and tournament hosts, extended their record for most goals conceded at AFCON, now at 117 total after allowing five goals during the 2025 edition. The Elephants were eliminated by Egypt in the quarter finals.
Both Ivory Coast and DR Congo extended their shared record for most matches lost at AFCON. After each losing one match during the knockout stages, both nations have now lost 31 matches overall in tournament history.
Tunisia extended their remarkable record for most consecutive AFCON appearances, reaching the tournament for the 17th straight time. The Carthage Eagles have not missed the continental championship since 1994, though they were eliminated in the group stage in Morocco.
The tournament, held from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, was Morocco’s second time hosting after 1988. The Atlas Lions reached the final on home soil for only the second time, seeking their first title since 1976, but fell to Senegal in a controversial final marred by a Senegalese walkoff and a missed penalty by Morocco’s Brahim Diaz.
Diaz had been the tournament’s top scorer with five goals before his infamous panenka penalty miss in the 93rd minute that would have won Morocco the title. Senegal returned to the field after their protest and won one nil in extra time through a goal from Pape Gueye.
The final sparked significant controversy, with FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) President Gianni Infantino calling Senegal’s walkoff unacceptable, while CAF (Confederation of African Football) launched disciplinary proceedings. Morocco’s football federation announced it would file complaints with both FIFA and CAF regarding the incidents.
Despite the dramatic finale, the tournament was widely praised for its organization and the quality of football on display. Egypt star Mohamed Salah stated he had never participated in a competition in Africa with such a high level of organization.
The 2025 edition was the first AFCON played during the Christmas and New Year period, scheduled to avoid a clash with FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup in June and July 2025. The tournament featured 24 teams competing across nine venues in six Moroccan cities.
Notable absentees included four time champions Ghana, who failed to qualify for the first time since 2004 after finishing bottom of their qualifying group. Comoros, Gabon, Sudan and Zimbabwe all returned to the tournament after missing the 2023 edition.
The next Africa Cup of Nations will be held in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Following that edition, the tournament will shift to a four year cycle beginning in 2028, aligning with the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship schedules.
