Get Guardian on GoogleThe pundits’ candidates for the golden boot at the Cameroun 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Manchester United Riyad Mahrez have all fired blanks in the six-day old competition. Rather, it is Cameroun’s Vincent Abubakar, who plays in the Portuguese league, leading the scorers’ chart.
24 teams are playing for glory in Cameroun, with Riyad Mahrez, Said Benrahma and Algeria bidding to successfully defend the title they won with victory over Senegal in Cairo two-and-a-half years ago, according to standard.co.uk.
However, the formidable Fennec Foxes – on an incredible 39-match unbeaten run – won’t be short of challengers to their crown, with Mohamed Salah and Egypt hoping to making it a record-extending eighth continental triumph, albeit their opening day loss to Nigeria was disappointing.
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Liverpool team-mate Mane leads the charge for Africa’s top-ranked team and favourites Senegal, with Vincent Aboubakar is off to a flying start with four goals for Cameroun, who last won AFCON in 2017.
Nigeria looked short on firepower without Emmanuel Dennis, Victor Osimhen and 2019 top scorer, Odion Ighalo, though with Kelechi Iheanacho leading the line instead, there didn’t appear to be too many problems, while the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Sebastien Haller lead the way for Cote d’Ivoire.
Brothers Jordan and Andre Ayew are still the ones to watch for Ghana, with Morocco’s firepower coming from Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Ayoub El Kaabi.
Gabon are lead by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been frozen out at Arsenal since being stripped of the captaincy last month, though he missed his country’s first match after testing positive for COVID-19.
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