AFCON 2021: Who wins golden boot in Cameroon between Salah and Aubameyang?
As the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is about to kick off in Cameroon, the debate on who will win the golden boot at the tournament is hotting up.
Africa’s finest attackers are set to descend on Cameroon in January as the continent’s top sides compete for the Africa Cup of Nations, but who will go home with the top scorer award?
In the past, all-time greatest such as Samuel Eto’o, Rashidi Yekini, and Benni McCarthy have left their mark as the outstanding goal-grabber at the continental showpiece.
With just a couple of days to go till the big kick-off on January 9, here are two of the top contenders for the 2021 AFCON Golden Boot.
1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Gabon striker is heading into the tournament on the back of a miserable time at Arsenal, but despite his recent troubles, Aubameyang still deserves respect as one of the most lethal attackers in the African game.
His track record in the Bundesliga and the Premier League — albeit before his recent slump — represents the kind of pedigree that few can match.
The Nations Cup also represents an ideal opportunity for Auba to remind potential suitors of his enduring goalscoring prowess, and perhaps a change of scene and environment will help him get back to his best.
It’s imperative that he and his compatriots start strongly against debutants Comoros in their tournament opener on January 10.
On the other hand, Mohamed Salah is the most in-form African player in world football today, and indeed, few players in the world game have enjoyed a more lethal start to the season than the Liverpool superstar.
He equalled Jamie Vardy’s record for either scoring or assisting in 15 consecutive Premier League matches until that run was halted against Tottenham Hotspur on December 19, and had a hand in a whopping 24 goals in his first 18 league games of the season.
He was ranked fourth among forwards in the ESPN FC Ranking of 2021 — behind only Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — and will be desperate to inspire Egypt to go one further than their final defeat in 2017.
Salah will lead Pharaohs of Egypt against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in their opener in Cameroon on January 11.
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