Brahim Diaz, Mahrez and Foster - Top scorers in the group stage of the 2025 AFCON

Brahim Diaz: The creative power

The host nation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco, topped Group A with seven points to advance to the knockout stages for the 11th time in its history. Switching allegiance has been the best decision the Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Díaz has made, considering he has been the one instrumental to the team's success, proving to be a key player in all three group stage games.

Diaz scored three goals in the group stage games. On his  AFCON debut against Comoros, he scored the opening goal of the match before Ayoub El Kaabi doubled the lead later on. That was not all, as he followed up with a goal on the spot to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw against Mali on matchday two. In the final group stage game against Zambia, he contributed to the second goal, which sealed a 3-0 victory.

With the goals flowing in, the 26-year-old has etched his name in the history books of this tournament. Thanks to his clinical finishing, he has become the first Moroccan player to score in three successive group stage games. The last person to achieve this magnificent feat was Ahmed Faras in 1976.

The Atlas Lions will hope he can deliver once again, this time in the knockout stages, and lead them deep in the tournament. Having made 18 appearances so far, his goal tally reads 11.

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Riyad Mahrez: The veteran marksman

The veteran marksman Riyad Mahrez is not one to be compared to Brahim Diaz. At 34 years old, he has made 109 appearances for Algeria and has 37 goals to his name. Despite approaching the sunset of his playing days, he has proven to be a real threat to defenses in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

While he has been unable to score in three successive group stage games, the bottom line is that he has scored three goals. Mahrez opened Algeria's campaign with a brace against minnows Sudan, which sealed a 3-0 victory. 

After that, his solitary goal against Burkina Faso was enough to see the team snatch three points in a 1-0 victory.  He was then rested in the final group stage game against Equatorial Guinea.

The Algerian captain is tasked with leading the team to greener pastures in this competition. The first step to doing so is seeing off the threat of DR Congo in the Round of 16. His dribbling, intelligent movement, and one-on-one ability should be enough to lead the team to success here.

It must be mentioned that Mahrez is the team's all-time top scorer in the AFCON, having scored nine goals. After the conclusion of his opening match against Sudan, he surpassed Lakhdar Belloumi for the most goals. He was tied on six goals with Belloumi before his brace lifted him to eight.

Lyle Foster: Bafana Bafana's rising star

Lyle Foster might not be a top scorer, but the Burnley man has proven to be an important player for Bafana Bafana in this tournament thanks to his standout performances. 

In fact, he has turned out to be an exciting attacking talent. He is tied for the most goal contributions with Nigeria's Ademola Lookman, scoring two goals and contributing two assists that have helped his team to advance to the last 16.

Of the three group stage games at AFCON, he scored and dished out an assist in two outings. First was an opening match against Angola in which the team won 2-1, followed by a thrilling last group stage game against Zimbabwe that ended in a 3-2 victory.

Ayoub El Kaabi leads the top scorers to watch out for in the last 16

Ayoub El Kaabi is another player who deserves special mention as one of the exciting attacking talents at AFCON. Honing his craft at Olympiacos Piraeus, a club in Greece, the Moroccan international has been a breath of fresh air in this tournament. 

He is tied on three goals with the red-hot Brahim Diaz and is undeniably in the race for the Golden Boot. He scored in the opening match against Comoros and bagged a brace in the final group stage against Zambia.

Other names can make the race for the Golden Boot thrilling and etch their names in the history books. Names like Ademola Lookman, Nicola Jackson, and Geny Catamo, who have scored two goals, could make the award swing in any direction.

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