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By Amaechi Agbo

Former Super Eagles striker, Jude Odion Ighalo, yesterday became the 6^th Nigeria and 56th African Player to win the Africa Cup Of Nations, AFCON Golden Boot Award.

Ighalo won the award courtesy of his five goal haul in the 2019 AFCON which was concluded in Egypt on Friday.

Ighalo joined the likes of Nigeria footballers such as Segun Odegbami, 3 goals (AFCON 1980), Rashidi Yekini in AFCON 1992 and 1994 with 4 and 5 goals each. Julius Aghahowa won the agog in 2002 AFCON with 3 goals while Austin Okocha was among the recipients of the award in the 2004 edition of the tournament with four goals.

In 2013 edition, Emmanuel Emenike went home with the award after his four goals helped the late coach Stephen Keshi led lads to clinch the trophy for three times.

However, Ighalo’s historic award has been beleaguered by his unexpected retirement from international football at the age of 30 years.

Below is the list of leading scorers at African Nations Cup tournaments:

1957- Ad El Diba (Egypt) 5 goals.

1959- Mahmoud Al Gohari (Egypt) 3 goals.

1962- Mohamed Al Badawi (Egypt) and Worku Mengistu (Ethiopia) 3 goals.

1963- Ahmed Al Chazli (Egypt) 6 goals.

1965- Abbrey Osei Kofi (Ghana) and Eustace Mangli (Ivory Coast) 3 goals.

1968- Laurent Pokou (Ivory Coast) 6 goals.

1970- Laurent Pokou (Ivory Coast) 8 goals.

1972- Salif Keita (Mali), 5 goals.

1974- Mulamba Ndaye (Zaire) 9 goals.

1976- William Njo Lea (Guinea) 4 goals.

1978- Phillip Omondi (Uganda) 4 goals.

1980- Segun Odegbami (Nigeria) 3 goals.

1982- George Al Hassan (Ghana) 4 goals.

1984- Taher Abou Zeid (Egypt) 4 goals.

1986- Roger Milla (Cameroon), Abdoulaye Traore (Ivory Coast) 4 goals.

1988- Lakhdar Belloumi (Algeria), Roger Milla (Cameroon), Gamal Abdelhamid (Egypt) and Abdoulaye Traore (Ivory Coast) 4 goals.

1990- Djamel Menad (Algeria) 4 goals.

1992- Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria) 4 goals.

1994- Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria) 5 goals.

1996- Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia) 5 goals.

1998- Hossam Hassan (Egypt) and Benni McCarthy (South Africa) 7 goals.

2000- Shaun Bartlett (South Africa) 5 goals.

2002- Patrick Mboma, Salomon Olembe (both Cameroon) and Julius Aghahowa (Nigeria) 3 goals.

2004- Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), Frederic Kanoute (Mali), Austin Okocha (Nigeria), Youssef Mokhtari (Morocco) and Francileudo dos Santos (Tunisia) 4 goals.

2006- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt) and Francileudo dos Santos (Tunisia) 4 goals.

2008- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) 5 goals.

2010- Mohamed Nagui (Egypt) 5 goals.

2012- Manucho (Angola), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Mali), Houcine Kharja (Morocco) Chris Katongo, Emmanuel Mayuka (both Zambia) 3 goals.

2013: Emmanuel Emenike (Nigeria), Mubarak Wakaso (Ghana), 4 goals.

2015: Ahmed Akaichi (Tunisia), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo), Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea), Thievy Biffouma (Congo) – 3 goals.

2017: Junior Kabananga (DR Congo) – 3 goals

2019: Odion Ighalo (Nigeria) – 5 goals