Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue wrote his name in history following Thursday's six-goal thriller against Guinea-Bissau.
The 34-year-old footballer led the line for his national team for the second game running, having started in attack in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Nigeria. However, the CF Intercity veteran got his name on the scoresheet this time and came away with the match ball following an unforgettable hat-trick.
Nsue broke the deadlock and gave Equatorial Guinea the lead after 21 minutes before adding another two in the second half, completing his haul at roughly the hour mark. And with that, not only did he leapfrog Senegal's Lamine Camara as the tournament's top scorer but he also made Africa Cup of Nations history.
Check out his third goal of the game in the clips below (videos are geo-restricted)
HAT-TRICK and 4-1!
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 18, 2024
Emilio Nsue's third goal is confirmed by VAR, sealing his hat trick and Equatorial Guinea's victory!
Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea-Bissau LIVE NOW on #beINSPORTS#EQGGNB #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/1suFjxg8Yx
EMILIO NSUE GETS THE HAT-TRICK!
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 18, 2024
The first hat-trick in AFCON since 2008! What a celebration! pic.twitter.com/fcQbOhFmuJ
First of all, this is the first time a hat-trick has been scored in the Africa Cup of Nations in nearly 16 years. The last time a player scored three goals in a single game was Morocco's Soufiane Alloudi against Namibia in January 2008, which was exactly 15 years and 362 days ago.
However, that was not even the standout record. With Nsue's brilliant performance, he became the oldest player in Africa Cup of Nations history to score a hat-trick, reaching this milestone at the age of 34 years and 110 days.
3 - At the age of 34 years and 110 days, Equatorial Guinea's Emilio Nsue is the oldest player in AFCON history to score a hat-trick. Historic. pic.twitter.com/JyK1Z7Uf2p
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) January 18, 2024
Oddly enough, Emilio Nsue has spent most of his career playing at right-back and occasionally plays as a winger for his current club – though he has played six games in the no.9 role this term out of his 16 appearances.
And with that, Equatorial Guinea are now in the driving seat to make the round of 16. Nzalang Nacional are currently top of the table in Group A with four points but could be leapfrogged by hosts Ivory Coast if the Elephants beat fellow continental powerhouses Nigeria on Thursday.