African Soccer Sets Goal Record at Morocco Tournament

African football just announced itself to the world in the most spectacular way possible.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has broken the continental scoring record with 120 goals tallied before Sunday's championship match. That surpasses the previous record of 119 goals set just two years ago in Côte d'Ivoire, signaling that African soccer is entering a bold new attacking era.

The tournament has delivered exactly what fans crave: drama, comebacks, and end-to-end excitement. Morocco's Brahim Díaz leads all scorers with five goals, closely followed by Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen with four each.

What makes this milestone remarkable is how it happened. Coaches adopted aggressive tactics from the opening whistle, trusting their forwards to express themselves rather than playing cautiously.

Traditional powerhouses like Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire showcased attacking depth and variety. But emerging stars matched the established names stride for stride, proving Africa's talent pool runs deeper than ever.

The expanded 24-team format, once criticized, has instead produced competitive and goal-rich matches throughout. Knockout pressure hasn't suppressed creativity as teams continued attacking even in the tournament's decisive stages.

The Ripple Effect

This scoring surge represents more than impressive statistics. The 120-goal milestone signals a continent-wide evolution toward tactical flexibility, technical confidence and attacking belief that could reshape African soccer's global reputation.

Vibrant stadiums from Tangier to Rabat provided the colorful backdrop, but the real story is African football's growing willingness to compete with flair. Young players across the continent are watching their heroes thrive in expansive systems, learning that attacking ambition can coexist with tournament success.

With the third-place match and final still to play, the record could climb even higher. Whether it's 120 goals or more, AFCON 2025 has already secured its legacy as the tournament where African football confidently stepped into its attacking future.