Goal kings Mboma, Kanoute and Santos are reluctant stars

Goal kings Patrick Mboma, Frederic Kanoute and Silva dos Santos are on top of the scoring charts at the African Nations Cup but they would prefer it if nobody paid any attention.

Mboma, recalled to the Cameroon squad after being discarded following the last World Cup, has four goals from two matches including the tournament's first hat-trick in the 5-3 demolition of Zimbabwe.

Mali's Kanoute has three goals as does Tunisian striker Santos, but all insist that their teams should take the credit for their success.

"Mboma scored three of the five goals against Zimbabwe and that's good for him and the team," said Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer of his 33-year-old centre-forward.

Despite the praise, Mboma, now playing his club football with Japanese side Verdy, steadfastly refuses to take the credit.

"My three goals were for the squad. This is not about personal glory, it's about the team that has played and every player has a role in the team," said Mboma who was joint top-scorer at the last Nations Cup in Mali in 2002.

In a very defensive-minded event he finished with three goals along with teammate Salomon Olembe and Nigeria's Julius Aghahowa.

In fact, all three have the tournament record in their sights - that is held by Democratic Republic of Congo's Ndaye Mulamba who hit nine in 1974.

Tottenham striker Kanoute has been instrumental in taking Mali to the quarter-finals scoring twice in the 3-1 defeat of Kenya and adding another in another 3-1 success over Burkina Faso.

"It's great to be scoring goals but the victories have been for the team," said Kanoute.

"When I am playing, I don't think of goals, I think of victory. We are a good team and we have started well here but now we must think of the quarter-finals when it begins to get tougher."

Brazilian-born Santos, like Kanoute, is a recent import to his squad and he has been the spark which has carried the hosts into the last eight with the winning goal against Rwanda and adding two more from the bench in the bad-tempered victory over Democratic Republic of Congo.

"I am just happy to help my teammates," said Santos modestly leaving others to do the talking for him.

"Santos is a model professional," said Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre.

"It is great to have him with us. He plays freely with a love for the game."

Fellow striker Najeh Braham, who was also on target in the 3-0 win over Congo, said he too has benefited from the Brazilian's knowledge of the game.

"Santos is a great player with extraordinary technical abilities. He can turn any situation into attack. I never felt like I was playing with him for the first time against Congo because he makes everything so simple," said Braham.