Let's be honest: nobody saw this coming. Before the tournament kicked off, if you'd asked who would lead the AFCON 2025 golden boot race heading into the final, most would have said Victor Osimhen, Mohamed Salah, or even Sadio Mané. Yet here we are, and it's Brahim Díaz who stands at the summit.
The Real Madrid winger has been nothing short of sensational on home soil. Five goals in six matches, scored in five consecutive games, a feat not seen since Ghana's Osei Kofi managed it back in 1968. That's 57 years of AFCON history, and Díaz has rewritten the record books.
The current standings
As Morocco prepares to face Senegal in Sunday's final (January 18), here's how the top scorers shape up:
5 goals: Brahim Díaz (Morocco)
4 goals: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
3 goals: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco), Lassine Sinayoko (Mali)
2 goals: Nicolas Jackson (Senegal), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Pape Gueye (Senegal), Chérif Ndiaye (Senegal), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Oswin Appollis (South Africa), Ibrahim Maza (Algeria), Christian Kofane (Cameroon), Elias Achouri (Tunisia), Geny Catamo (Mozambique), Raphael Onyedika (Nigeria), Akor Adams (Nigeria)
Díaz: from supporting cast to main character
Walid Regragui hasn't been shy about his admiration for Díaz. After the quarter-final victory over Cameroon, the Morocco coach said bluntly: "He can be the best player in the world." Bold? Perhaps. But watch Díaz play in this tournament, and you understand the sentiment.
The 26-year-old has delivered when it mattered most: against Comoros to open his account, Mali to secure top spot, Zambia to finish the group stage, Tanzania in the round of 16, and Cameroon in the quarters. Each goal arrived with impeccable timing. Each finish showed the composure of a player operating in a different gear.
What makes his run particularly impressive is the context. Díaz spent years being shuffled between Real Madrid and loan spells at AC Milan and elsewhere, never quite settling. Now, representing his country of choice (he could have played for Spain), he's found his stage. The packed crowds at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium have embraced him as their own, and he's repaid that faith goal after goal.
Osimhen and the weight of history
Victor Osimhen sits on four goals, just one behind Díaz, with the third-place playoff against Egypt remaining. His tournament has been a mixture of brilliance and controversy, including that bizarre incident against Mozambique where he gestured to be substituted after a disagreement with Ademola Lookman.
Yet when it comes to delivering on the biggest stage, Osimhen remains Nigeria's heartbeat. His performance against Algeria in the quarter-finals was a masterclass in number nine play: a goal, an assist for Akor Adams, and constant menace. After that match, he said: "It doesn't matter if I equal the record or surpass it, the late Rashidi Yekini is the best striker the Super Eagles have ever produced." With 11 AFCON goals, Osimhen is now just two behind Yekini's national record of 13.
The semi-final defeat to Morocco on penalties clearly stung. "Today's game was nothing to write home about in terms of officiating; it was that bad," Osimhen said afterward, taking aim at Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea. Fair or not, that's the frustration of a man who believed this was Nigeria's year.
Salah's elusive trophy
Mohamed Salah has won the Premier League, the Champions League, and seemingly every individual award football can offer. But the AFCON remains absent from his collection. At 33, with four goals in this tournament, he came as close as ever to adding that missing piece.
"I don't think we are favourites," he insisted throughout the competition, a humble line that felt almost rehearsed. "We have young players, most of them playing back home in Egypt. We are just fighting for our country." Yet behind the modesty was quiet intensity. According to Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan, Salah held private meetings with teammates throughout the tournament, stressing the importance of staying focused.
After eliminating Ivory Coast in the quarters, he admitted what everyone suspected: "I want this title more than anyone. I have achieved everything except this trophy."
Mané's 78th-minute winner in the semi-final ended that dream. Saturday's third-place match against Nigeria offers one last chance to add to his tally, though the golden boot itself seems beyond reach now.
The Mané factor
Speaking of Sadio Mané: his winning goal against Egypt took his AFCON tally to 11 goals and 9 assists, making him the first player since OPTA records began (2010) to reach 20 goal contributions in the tournament. Not Salah, not Samuel Eto'o, not Didier Drogba. Mané.
"I pay tribute to Egypt of course," he said after the match. "Egypt is for me the best ever team in Africa. Today they showed it again. Wow. What a team. It was not easy for us."
The Al-Nassr forward may only have two goals this tournament, but his influence stretches far beyond the stats. When Kalidou Koulibaly went down injured, Mané took the armband. When Senegal needed a moment of magic, Mané delivered. On Sunday, he'll have one final chance to add to his scoring tally against Morocco.
The end of an era
One significant storyline emerged from Algeria's quarter-final exit. Riyad Mahrez, who sits on three goals this tournament, confirmed it was his last AFCON. "I confirm, this was my last competition, it's over," the 34-year-old said. "It's sad that it stops at the quarterfinal, as I would have liked to have gone further to try to win a second one. Our generation has already won one AFCON and it was incredible, but now we have to shake hands and move on."
Mahrez leaves with three goals from just two starts this tournament, a reminder of the sharpness that made him a Premier League champion. The new generation, he said, will have to carry the burden now.
Still to play
Two matches remain. Saturday's third-place playoff (Egypt vs Nigeria) gives Osimhen and Salah one last opportunity to close the gap on Díaz. Both need a brace to overtake him, and both will be motivated by more than individual glory, Nigeria chasing their record ninth bronze medal, Egypt seeking consolation after another final heartbreak.
Then Sunday's final: Morocco vs Senegal. Díaz could extend his lead, though he failed to score in the semi-final against Nigeria. Mané, Jackson, or any other Senegal player could also enter the conversation with a strong performance.
One thing seems certain: this AFCON has produced goals in abundance. With 120+ strikes already recorded, it has surpassed the previous record of 119 set in Ivory Coast 2023. And the man most responsible for that total? The kid from Málaga who chose Morocco, found his moment, and refused to let go.