Following Mohammed Salah’s recent record of scoring the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history, here are Ten amazing sporting records currently held by Africans.
100m Hurdles World Record – In 2022, Tobi Amusan ran a time of 12.12 seconds to defeat former world record holder, Kendra Harrison, who had set the world record in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 12.20 seconds in 2016. The 25-year-old Tobi was, however, not done as she followed that remarkable performance with a wind-assisted 12.06 (2.5m/s) to win the final.
World Record in Marathon – Eliud Kipchoge is the world record holder in a marathon. At the 2022 Berlin Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge ran the course in a world record of 2 hours, 01 minute, and 09 seconds. Four of the five fastest marathon times ever recorded belong to him.
Fastest Win in Boxing History – The quickest victory in boxing history was achieved by Nigerian boxer Efe Ajagba, who may never see such unusual circumstances again. Efe Ajagba was poised to battle Curtis Harper in a highly anticipated heavyweight bout, after racking up four consecutive knockout victories. One second after the bell rang to begin the fight, Harper walked out of the ring, resulting in a disqualification and a historic victory for Ajagba. It has been reported that Harper walked out of the fight in protest of the financial terms, but as he left after the bell had sounded, the outcome still stands.
Fastest English Premier League hat-trick – The Senegalese football star Sadio Mane broke Robbie Fowler’s 21-year-old record of 4 minutes, 33 seconds for the fastest hat trick in the English Premier League on May 16, 2015, while playing for Southampton against Aston Villa. Mane scored a hat trick in the first two minutes and fifty-six seconds of the game, leading Southampton to a 5-0 victory over Aston Villa.
Oldest Player to Score at The World Cup – Most of the players who play for their country at age 30 or older are either goalkeepers or defenders. Forward Roger Milla of the former Cameroon national team defied this trend by playing in the World Cup at the ages of 38 and 42. At the 1990 World Cup, at age 38, Roger Milla became the oldest player to score in World Cup. Four years later, at 42, Roger Milla broke his own record by scoring against Russia, breaking his own record in the process.
Most Goals in a Premier League Season – Egyptian talisman, Mohammed Salah scored 32 premier league goals in the 2017/2018 season, breaking the record previously held by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luis Suarez.
Most Successful Nation in U-17 World Cup – With a record of five titles (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013, and 2015) and three runner-up finishes, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are the most successful national youth team in the history of the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup.
Brazil is second-most successful with four titles and two runners-up, while Ghana and Mexico have won the tournament twice.
Most Goals in A Single FIFA U-17 World Cup – Nigerian wonderkid Victor Osimhen made history in 2017 by scoring 10 goals at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. His goals still stand as the highest in a single Under-17 World Cup tournament. Ivorian centre-forward Souleymane Coulibaly and Florent Sinama-Pongolle sit behind Osimhen in the second position.
AFP PHOTOSPORT – MARCELO HERNANDEZMARCELO HERNANDEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Fastest Red Card – This may not go down as something to celebrate, but it’s still a record that remains unbroken. In 2013, Ivorian striker Serge Djiéhoua set a record for the quickest red card in football history when he was sent off just three seconds after entering the game as a replacement. The Gylfadas were down 3-1 against Olympiakos Volos in the Greek Second Division when they substituted in Djieouha, but he was sent back the opposite way after catching his opponent with his right arm.
Most Consecutive Football Touches in One Minute – On November 14, 2019, Eche Chinoso, also known as Amazing Kid Eche, set a Guinness World Record when he made the most consecutive football touches while balancing another ball on his head. The Warri-born youngster was just eleven years old when he achieved the record of 111 touches in just one minute.
