AFCON: Meet Emilio Nsue, the 34-year-old goal king

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast has sparked remarkable headlines and gathered more global attention in just ten days since the tournament kicked off.

Notably, the big headline is Emilio Nsue, a 34-year-old defender who plays in the Spanish third division with Intercity, making positive waves in Ivory Coast with his goals and incredible performance has powered the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Emilio Nsue’s performance at the AFCON 2023 has surprised many, as he was not expected to be one of the tournament’s top scorers. However, the 34-year-old has shown his ability to score goals from both open play and set pieces, and he has been a critical player in Equatorial Guinea’s success so far.

Emilio Nsue scored the first Africa Cup of Nations hat-trick since 2008 as Equatorial Guinea beat Guinea-Bissau 4-2 and scored another double against Guinea-Bissau as Equatorial Guinea finished top of the group ahead of Nigeria on goal difference.

En route to the tournament, notable players like Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Egyptian striker Mohammed Salah, and Sadio Mane of Senegal are among the top tipped to be leading the top scores chart, but that is not the story, the biggest name in Ivory Coast is Emilio Nsue who has so far scored five goals in three marches for Equatorial Guinea.

His brilliant form has helped them finish top of Group A on seven points and a fantastic six-goal difference, despite having three times champions, Nigeria Super Eagles and Ivory Coast, two times winner of the tournament.

Here are facts about Emilio Nsue, the 34-year-old AFCON 2023 top scorer:

. Emilio Nsue is a right-back who also plays as a winger.

. He is currently playing for CF InterCity in the third division of Spanish.

. He has previously played for Middlesbrough and Birmingham City in England and Mallorca in Spain.

. Emilio Nsue helped Middlesbrough gain promotion to the Premier League in 2016.

. He is the oldest player to score a hat trick in the Africa Cup of Nations, at 34 and 110 days old.

. Emilio Nsue scored the first AFCON hat-trick since 2008 in Equatorial Guinea’s 4-2 win over Guinea-Bissau.

. He scored five goals in three matches for Equatorial Guinea in the group stage of AFCON 2023, helping them finish at the top of Group A.

. He is the current top scorer of AFCON 2023.