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Over the last 20 years, the tournament has witnessed remarkable individual performances, with players stepping up to lead their nations in pursuit of glory.
Here's a look at some of the top scorers from the tournaments held from 2002 to 2022:
2002 (Mali)
Top Scorer: Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), Salomon Olembe (Cameroon), Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria) – 3 goals each
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2004 (Tunisia)
Top Scorer: Francileudo Santos (Tunisia) – 4 goals
2006 (Egypt)
Top Scorer: Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) – 5 goals
Eto'o's performance in 2006 set a record for the most goals scored in a single AFCON tournament at that time.
2008 (Ghana)
Top Scorer: Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) – 5 goals
Eto'o, once again, demonstrated his scoring prowess, retaining his position as the tournament's top scorer.
2010 (Angola)
Top Scorer: Mohamed Nagy "Gedo" (Egypt) – 5 goals
Gedo played a crucial role in Egypt's successful campaign, coming off the bench to score in almost every game.
2012 (Gabon and Equatorial Guinea)
Top Scorer: Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia) – 3 goals
Mayuka was instrumental in Zambia's fairy-tale run to their first-ever AFCON title.
2013 (South Africa)
Top Scorer: Mubarak Wakaso (Ghana) – 4 goals
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Wakaso's goals were crucial for Ghana, helping them to reach the semi-finals.
2015 (Equatorial Guinea)
Top Scorer: André Ayew (Ghana), Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea), Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo), Thievy Bifouma (Congo), Ahmed Akaïchi (Tunisia) – 3 goals each
2017 (Gabon)
Top Scorer: Junior Kabananga (DR Congo) – 3 goals
Kabananga was the surprise top scorer, leading DR Congo to the quarter-finals.
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2019 (Egypt)
Top Scorer: Odion Ighalo (Nigeria) – 5 goals
Ighalo's goalscoring form was a key factor in Nigeria securing third place in the tournament.
2021 (Cameroon, held in 2022 due to COVID-19)
Top Scorer: Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) – 8 goals
Aboubakar's exceptional goal tally made him the standout player of the tournament, as he captained the host nation to a third-place finish.