Díaz, Osimhen lead race for AFCON 2025 Golden Boot award

Díaz and Osimhen lead race for AFCON 2025 Golden Boot award

Moroccan forward Brahim Díaz and Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen are leading contenders in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Díaz was on target in Morocco’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Cameroon in Rabat, continuing his impressive scoring run at the tournament.

Read Also: Osimhen: Winning the AFCON matters more than goal records

The Real Madrid winger now leads the Golden Boot standings with five goals in five matches, underlining his consistency and growing influence for the host nation.

Playing in front of a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Díaz opened the scoring with a decisive touch after Ayoub El Kaabi’s header in the 26th minute.

Although Ismael Saibari later sealed the win, Díaz once again dominated attention with a flawless scoring record unmatched by any other player at the finals.

Close behind him are Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who are both on four goals after finding the net in their respective quarter-final victories.

Osimhen’s opener in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Algeria helped the Super Eagles secure a place in the semi-finals, taking the 27-year-old striker to four goals, just one behind Díaz.

He is also now only two goals away from equalling the long-standing Nigerian record of 37 international goals held by the late Rashidi Yekini.

Five players are currently tied on three goals, including Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Amad Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire), Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco), Lassine Sinayoko (Mali) and Riyad Mahrez (Algeria).

With the semi-finals set for Wednesday, January 14, the Golden Boot race is far from over. Díaz will look to extend his lead against Nigeria, while Osimhen will be hoping to overtake the Moroccan as the AFCON 2025 enters a crucial stage.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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