Super Eagles: List of Nigerian Players with Most AFCON Goals
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy.
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The Super Eagles of Nigeria qualified for their 16th semi-final in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after defeating Angola on Friday, February 2.
The record 16th semi-final appearance is due to the goal-scoring prowess of the country in different AFCON tournaments.
Source: Getty Images
In this article, Legit.ng highlights five former Super Eagles players who have scored the most AFCON goals for the country, according to The Nation.
Rashidi Yekini
Legendary Rashidi Yekini has the highest AFCON number of goals for Nigeria.
The late Yekini scored 13 AFCON goals for Nigeria at four Africa Nations Cup tournaments.
He is also Nigeria’s all-time highest goal scorer with 37 goals to his credit.
Yekini was the highest goalscorer medal with five goals when the Super Eagles claimed its second AFCON trophy in Tunisia in 1994.
Austin Jay-Jay Okocha
Midfield Maestro, who has seven AFCON goals to his credit scored his first goal in the African championship in Ghana/Nigeria 2000.
He scored three goals in the tournament, two against Tunisia in the opening match and a goal-of-the-tournament contender in the final against Cameroon.
Four years later in Tunisia 204, he emerged as the Best Player of the Tournament after scoring four goals and finishing as the joint-top scorer.
Segun Odegbami
Popular called Mathematical Odegbami, the legendary winger scored six goals in two AFCON tournaments.
He scored three goals in his first-ever appearance in the 1978 championship in Ghana. His goals contributed to Nigeria securing the bronze medal.
He repeated his 3 goals two years later on home soil in Nigeria as the nation won its first-ever AFCON trophy in 1980.
Julius Aghahowa
Julius Aghahowa lit up the Ghana/Nigeria 2000 AFCON tournament with three spectacular goals.
Two of the goals scored by the Super Eagles striker were against Senegal in the quarterfinals at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Aghahowa repeated his three-goal feat two years later to share the highest goalscorer award with two others – Patrick Mboma and Salomon Olembé in Mali 2002.
Odion Ighalo
Ighalo scored five times to claim the top scorer award in his debut appearance at AFCON in Egypt 2019.
His goals, however, were not enough to lift the trophy for Nigeria as the Super Eagles stumbled to a third-place finish.
Lookman joins 3 Nigerians In goal-scoring record
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman became the fourth Nigerian to score three or more goals in the knockout rounds of a single AFCON edition.
Lookman joined the list after scoring his third goal in the knockout stage against Angola at the ongoing 2023 AFCON. Other Nigerian players on the list are Odion Ighalo, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha and the late Rashidi Yekini
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Source: Legit.ng
