Mohamed Salah has etched his name deeper into the record books of African football. On Saturday night, the Egyptian captain became the first player in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to score against 11 different national teams.
The milestone was reached during Egypt’s quarter-final clash against Ivory Coast.
In the 52nd minute, Salah connected with a precise cross from teammate Emam Ashour, finishing deftly inside the penalty area to give the “Pharaohs” a 3-1 lead. The victory secured Egypt’s place in the semi-finals, where they are set to face Senegal.
By finding the net against the Ivoirians, Salah surpassed the previous records held by African legends Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), and André Ayew (Ghana).
According to Opta statistics, the 33-year-old Liverpool winger has now distributed his goals across five editions of the tournament:
• 2017: Ghana and Burkina Faso
• 2019: DR Congo and Uganda
• 2021: Guinea-Bissau and Morocco
• 2023: Mozambique
• Current Edition (Morocco): Zimbabwe, Benin, South Africa, and Ivory Coast.
This current tournament marks a personal best for Salah, as it is the first time he has scored four goals in a single AFCON edition. He now sits just one goal behind Morocco’s Ibrahim Diaz in the race for the Golden Boot.
The goal also carries significant weight in Egyptian football history. It brings Salah’s career AFCON total to 11 goals, moving him level with current national team coach Hossam Hassan. He now trails the late Hassan Shehata by just one goal to become Egypt’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
As Egypt prepares for their high-stakes semi-final against Senegal, all eyes will be on Salah to see if he can continue his record-breaking run and lead the Pharaohs to continental glory.
