FEATURE: AFCON stats breakdown

Published on: 09 February 2015
FEATURE: AFCON stats breakdown
Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast claimed their second Africa Cup of Nations title when they defeated Ghana on penalties in Sunday’s final. Here is a breakdown of the best statistics from Equatorial Guinea 2015.

With 68 goals scored, the 2015 AFCON has just one less goal than the 2013 edition and is the lowest scoring tournament since Mali 2002 when just 48 goals were scored.

After 23 goals were racked up in the six matches comprising the quarter- and semifinals, zero goals were scored in the third place playoff and final, both of which went to penalties.

There were 53 different goal scorers at the 2015 AFCON, including Thulani Hlatshwayo’s own goal (the only own goal of the tournament).

No less than five players ended tied at the top of the scoring chart with three goals apiece: Ahmed Akaichi, Andre Ayew, Javier Balboa, Thievy Bifouma and Dieumerci Mbokani. Ayew was awarded the golden boot award as he also notched up two assists.

Equatorial Guinea became the first AFCON hosts to reach the semifinals of their own tournament since Ghana in 2008.

After Egypt’s dominance from 2006 to 2010, the 2015 AFCON was the third successive tournament in which no North African side reached the semifinals.

Ivory Coast tactician Herve Renard became the first coach to win two AFCON titles with two different teams.

Ivory Coast have now played in four AFCON finals – all of them have ended goalless after 120 minutes and gone to penalties.

There were 23 years between Ivory Coast’s first AFCON title in 1992 and their second in 2015.

Copa Barry, Ivory Coast’s hero in the penalty shootout in the final, was playing in his first match of the tournament.

Ghana won the last of their four AFCON titles in 1982. The wait for trophy number five will stretch at least another two years.

DR Congo enjoyed their best tournament since finishing third in 1998. They also claimed their first win in an AFCON tournament since 2006.

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