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Nigeria are no longer just winning at AFCON 2025, they are scoring their way into history.
With two matches left in Morocco, the Super Eagles stand on the brink of setting a new Africa Cup of Nations goal-scoring benchmark, powered by an attack that has combined volume, variety, and venom.
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Saturday’s authoritative 2–0 quarterfinal victory over Algeria in Marrakech pushed Nigeria’s tournament tally to 14 goals, leaving them just two short of the all-time AFCON record set by the Ivory Coast national football team in 2008.
A run built on relentless firepower
Nigeria’s path to 14 goals has been as emphatic as it has been balanced.
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The Super Eagles tore through Group C with eight goals, finishing top with a perfect record, before adding four more in a one-sided Round of 16 demolition of Mozambique in Fes. The final touch came in Marrakech, where two second-half strikes against Algeria confirmed a semifinal place and moved history firmly into view.
For context, Nigeria’s previous best return at the AFCON finals was 12 goals, achieved during their run to the final in 2000. That mark has now been surpassed, and with two games still to play, Eric Chelle’s side have a genuine chance to go one step further.
The record Nigeria is hunting
The current benchmark remains the 16 goals scored by the Ivory Coast at the 2008 AFCON tournament. Interestingly, Ivorians’ side achieved the feat in six matches, yet still finished fourth, underlining just how rare it is to combine prolific scoring with tournament longevity.
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Before that, the Zambia national football team held the record with 15 goals at the 1996 finals in South Africa, a total later matched by the Egypt national football team during their dominant title runs in 2008 and 2010.
Nigeria now sit alongside an elite company, already level with some of the most attacking teams AFCON has ever seen.
How the semifinalists compare
As AFCON 2025 reaches its final stretch, the contrast in attacking output is striking:
Nig:ria; 14 goals (5 matches), Senegal: 11 goals, Egypt: 9 goals, Morocco: 9 goals
Nigeria are not just leading the chart, they are doing so with daylight between themselves and the rest.
Why this matters
This is not merely about numbers. It is about statement football.
READ ALSO: AFCON 2025: Super Eagles captain Ndidi improving after injury, ruled out of semi-final
The Super Eagles have scored freely without becoming reckless, spreading goals across the squad while maintaining structure and control. That balance has been the hallmark of their campaign, and the reason they are now being discussed not just as contenders, but as potential record-breakers.
With a semifinal and possibly a final still to come, Nigeria have two clear shots at history.
Two more goals would equal the AFCON record. Three would rewrite it entirely.
And if the Super Eagles maintain this ruthless rhythm, Morocco may yet become the stage where African football watches a new standard being set.
Most Goals Scored in a Single AFCON Finals
16- Ivory Coast (2008)
15- Zambia (1996), Egypt (2008, 2010)
14 -Zaire (1974), Morocco (2004), Cameroon (2008, 2021), Nigeria (2025 – ongoing)
Nigeria are already in the conversation.
Now, they are chasing the crown.
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