The continent of Africa is blessed with a rich history of producing prolific goalscorers, whose achievements have brought success to their respective countries. Their contributions to African football has been limitless and they have served as inspiration to several generations of other footballers.
From Zambian legendary figure Godfrey Chitalu to Malawi icon Kinnah Phiri, this list explores the top 5 highest goalscorers in African football history.
Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia, 79 goals)
Zambian football legend Godfrey Chitalu tops the list with an impressive 79 goals in 111 appearances for his country. Chitalu made his debut for the Chipolopolo in June 1968 and was part of the squad that finished second at the 1974 African Cup of Nations.
After retirement, he became the head coach of the Zambian National Team but died in unfortunate circumstances in 1993 when the Zambian Air Force plane conveying the team to a FIFA World Cup qualifying match crashed, killing everyone on board.
Kinnah Phiri (Malawi, 71 goals)
Kinnah Phiri ranks second on the all-time goalscorer in African football history with 71 goals coming in 117 appearances for Malawi. He made his debut for the Flames in 1973 and retired in 1981.
Despite Malawi’s limited recognition in the footballing world, Phiri’s impressive goalscoring record stood out.
Hossam Hassan (Egypt, 69 goals)
Ex-Egypt international Hossam Hassan enjoyed a hugely successful playing career and scored 69 goals from 177 appearances. The former Al Ahly striker made his debut for the Pharaohs in 1985 and featured in the 1990 FIFA World Cup along with seven African Cup of Nations tournaments. He scored 11 goals at the tournament, the fifth-highest ever and was joint winner of the golden boot in 1998 with seven goals alongside South Africa’s Benni McCarthy.
Hossam Hassan’s impressive career was crowned with three Nations Cup title wins in 1986, 1998 and 2006, cementing his status as one of Africa’s greatest footballers.
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, 65 goals)
Didier Drogba had a remarkable scoring career, netting 65 times in 105 appearances for Ivory Coast. The two-time African footballer of the year award winner made his debut in 2002 and remains the country’s all-time goalscorer. He was instrumental as the Elephants qualified for their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006, and scored their first goal of the tournament in a 2-1 lost to Argentina.
He also participated in four African Cup of Nations tournaments in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2010, winning the silver medal in 2006 and 2012 before his retirement in August 2014.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt, 58)
The only active footballer on this list, Mohamed Salah claims the fifth spot with 58 goals from 103 appearances. The two-time African footballer of the year winner made his debut for Egypt in 2011 against Sierra Leone and has won two silver medals at the African Cup of Nations in 2017 and 2021.
At 33, Salah has enjoyed a trophy-laden club career and has time to add to his impressive 58 international goals.
