AFCON 2023: 10 interesting facts you should know after group stages

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has witnessed some thrills after the end of group stages on Wednesday.

A total of 36 games have been played, with 16 teams making it to the knockout rounds, which will start on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Here is a compilation of some interesting facts about the group stages:

1. This AFCON has witnessed plenty of goals, and a total of 89 goals have been scored in the group stages, that is 2.4 goals per match.

2. Equatorial Guinea captain Emilo Nsue leads the goal-scoring with five goals, followed by Egypt’s Mostafa Mohammed and Algeria’s Baghdad Bounedjah who have three goals each.

Interestingly, Emilo Nsue plays as a defender for his club, CF Intercity, in Spain’s third-tier league.

3. Cameroon’s Georges-Kevin N’koudou and Equatorial Guinea’s Jose Machin lead the assist chart with three assists each.

 

4. Before January 24, every game played at the AFCON had seen at least one goal scored, but in the case of the particular day, three games ended in scoreless stalemates.

5. Senegal is the only team to have won all three games in the group stages.

6. Equatorial Guinea scored the most goals (9) in the group stages, followed by Senegal with eight goals.

7. Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Gambia conceded the most number of goals (7) in the group stages with all teams being eliminated.

8. Namibia and Mauritania reached the knockout round for the first time in their football history.

9. There have been four red cards in the tournament thus far.

10. The game between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau recorded six goals which is the most in a single match at the tournament.