HIBAPRESS – Sports
The first round of the 35th edition of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco concluded, after 36 matches were played in 6 groups, witnessing the scoring of 87 goals with an average of 2.42 goals per match.
This figure stands out as the highest scoring rate in the history of the tournament, reflecting the high level of competition and the outstanding attacking performance of the national teams. The Nigerian national team topped the list of the most scoring teams in the group stage, having scored 8 goals, followed by Algeria and Senegal with 7 goals each. In contrast, the Comoros and Botswana national teams failed to score throughout the first round, remaining alone without goals, which highlights the significant differences between the strong teams and the less experienced teams. Penalties constituted an influential element in the match results, as 11 goals were scored from penalties during the first round. Among the most prominent were the 1/1 draw between Morocco and Mali with two penalty goals, Egypt's 1/0 victory over South Africa with a penalty, and Senegal's 3/0 victory over Benin from a penalty, in addition to Mozambique's 3/2 victory over Gabon with a penalty. The first round was not devoid of the waste of some penalties, as Moroccan player Soufiane Rahimi, Mali, and Ugandan player Allan Okello missed penalty kicks in their matches. At the level of the top scorer race, Arab players topped the list of leaders, as Riyad Mahrez, captain of the Algerian national team, scored 3 goals, equal to Moroccan players Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi, while Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Elias Ashour (Tunisia), and Ibrahim Maza (Algeria) each scored two goals. This scoring performance reflects the strength of the Arab attack in the tournament and the players' ability to make a difference in matches. The high goal rate indicates the balance between defensive and offensive performance in the tournament, with teams relying on direct offensive strategies and decisive penalties. With the start of the knockout rounds, eyes are turning to the possibility of breaking these record numbers in the number of goals, amid intense competition among the qualified national teams and a rise in the level of individual and collective performance alike.
