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Salah goal puts him among Africa’s World Cup greats

Mohamed Salah's finish against New Zealand moved him up Africa's all-time list, but a Ghanaian great and Cameroonian icon remain at the top.

Wahbi Khazri

Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri sits level with Mohamed Salah on three goals and two assists. Khazri’s tally includes his stunning long-range strike against England at the 2018 World Cup, a goal still regarded as one of the finest African efforts in tournament history.

Mohamed Salah

Salah’s latest goal contribution, in Egypt’s historic 3-1 win over New Zealand, moved him level with Khazri and firmly into Africa’s all-time top five. With Salah still active at this World Cup, there remains every chance his name climbs even higher before the tournament is finished.

Roger Milla

Cameroon legend Roger Milla sits above both with five goals and one assist, helping fire the Indomitable Lions to a historic quarter-final run at Italia 90, the first time an African nation reached that stage of the tournament. Milla’s trademark corner-flag celebrations remain one of the most iconic images in World Cup history.

Asamoah Gyan

Asamoah Gyan sits alone at the top of Africa’s all-time World Cup contribution charts, with six goals and three assists across three tournaments between 2006 and 2014 making him the continent’s most decisive performer on football’s biggest stage.

What makes this list remarkable is the era it spans. From Milla’s heroics in 1990 to Salah’s ongoing exploits in 2026, it tells the story of African football’s growing influence on the global stage across nearly four decades.

Photo: Fran Santiago/Getty Images

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