AFCON 2021 Feature: The competition’s record top scorer Samuel Eto’o
Samuel Eto’o Fils is the current Football Association president of the country that will be hosting the 2021 edition of the African Cup of Nations, Cameroon. During his playing days for the Indomitable Lions, the prolific striker made some good records for himself.
No player scored more goals in the history of TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations than Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian legend netted a record of 18 goals in six editions he played for The Indomitable Lions in.
Eto’o who played for the likes of giants Real Madrid and Barcelona (Spain), Inter Milan (Italy) and Chelsea (England) among others, donned Cameroon short in 118 caps, scoring 56 goals in the process; a national record.
Eighteen of these goals came in the African flagship competition as Eto’o set himself as the all-time record goal scorer, overtaking Cote d’Ivoire’s Laurent Pokou who had scored 14 goals.
Eto’o was part the Cameroon team that won back to back AFCON titles in 2000 and 2002.
He also took part in four more editions (2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010), scoring at least a goal in each of them, which is also a record (scoring in six different AFCON editions) that he shares with Zambia’s Kalusha Bwalya and Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan.
Following is how Eto’o scored his record 18 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations goals;
Ghana/Nigeria 2000 (4 goals)
1. Cameroon 3-0 Cote d’Ivoire (Group stage)
2. Cameroon 1-0 Algeria (Quarterfinal)
3. Cameroon 3-0 Tunisia (Semifinal)
4. Cameroon 2-2 Nigeria (Final)
Mali 2002 (1 goal)
5. Cameroon 3-0 Togo (Group stage)
Tunisia 2004 (1 goal)
6. Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria (Quarterfinal)
Egypt 2006 (5 goals – Tournament Top Scorer)
7. Cameroon 3-1 Angola (Group stage)
8. Cameroon 3-1 Angola (Group stage)
9. Cameroon 3-1 Angola (Group stage)
10. Cameroon 2-0 Togo (Group stage)
11. Cameroon 2-0 DR Congo (Group stage)
Ghana 2008 (5 goals – Tournament Top Scorer)
12. Cameroon 2-4 Egypt (Group stage)
13. Cameroon 2-4 Egypt (Group stage)
14. Cameroon 5-1 Zambia (Group stage)
15. Cameroon 3-0 Sudan (Group stage)
16. Cameroon 3-0 Sudan (Group stage)
Angola 2010 (2 goals)
17. Cameroon 3-2 Zambia (Group stage)
18. Cameroon 2-2 Tunisia (Group stage)
