Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue has set his sights on winning the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations golden boot after his hat-trick sunk Guinea-Bissau 4-2 on Thursday.

The 34-year-old grabbed the first treble of the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire, becoming the first player to score three since Morocco’s Soufiane Alloudi in 2008.

Nsue was named man of the match for his ruthless display leading the line for the Nzalang Nacional in the Group A encounter.

“I feel perfect, and I’m thrilled to be back playing at my third AFCON,” said Nsue, who plies his trade with Spanish fourth-tier CF Intercity.

“Scoring three goals has given me a lot of confidence, and I hope I can keep scoring and even be the top scorer in this competition.”

After Equatorial Guinea’s second triumph in two games, the veteran striker was keen to share the plaudits with his teammates.

“I’m very proud of this performance by the team,” added Nsue. “It was a perfect match, especially in the second half, although we still need to improve in certain areas.”

Nsue will have to maintain his ruthless form in front of goal to claim the Golden Boot, with the likes of Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen also eyeing the accolade.

But with three goals already to his name, the rejuvenated target man has given himself every chance of finishing AFCON 2023 as the top marksman.