Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue Lopez aims to win the golden boot award in AFCON 2023 after scoring a hat trick in his nation's 4-2 thrashing of Guinea Bissau at Alassane Ouatarra Stadium on Thursday, January 18.

The former Spanish youth international became the first player to score three times in one game at the Cup of Nations ever since Soufiane Alloudi did so for Morocco in a 5-1 humiliation of Namibia in 2008 in Ghana.

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At 34, Nsue admitted that this could be his last African Cup of Nations Tournament and he is hoping to win the top scorer accolade.

"I feel very happy. I knew this could be one of my last Africa Cups. This is my third, so I came here mentally very strong, I trusted in myself, and I am playing very well," Nsue said.

"I know I have the quality to do a good job. I just want to continue and score more goals, and I hope to be top scorer ahead of all the superstars who are here."

Born in Mallorca to an Equatorial Guinea father and a Spanish mother, Nsue played for the European country from U15 to U21 level winning the 2011 U21 Euro competition.

He is a versatile player and he showed it when he was deployed as a striker against Guinea Bissau.

'This year I play as a striker. Years ago, I played at right-back, even as a central defender and winger, I played all the positions...But with the national team all my life I have played as a striker."

He added: "One of the things I am very proud of is that I think this is the strongest group in all the Africa Cup, and I think we will go through in the top two, so I am very happy for that."

At club level, he played for teams including Real Mallorca, Real Socieddad, Birmingham City as well as Middlesbrough. Currently he plays for Spanish third tier side Inter City FC.