Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong emerged as the Man of the Competition award despite the Super Eagles falling short to Ivory Coast with a 2-1 scoreline in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The PAOK centre-back’s standout performance and three goals during the tournament showcased his defensive prowess and leadership on the pitch.
Troost-Ekong, 30, not only led Nigeria to their first final appearance since 2013 but also etched his name into the record books with three goals, a remarkable feat for a defender in the past two decades.
Despite his side’s defeat, the MVP award stands as a bittersweet consolation for the talented defender.
🌟 William Ekong 🌟
Ladies & gentlemen, we present you the TotalEnergies 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🇳🇬
Incredible run with his nation concludes with the silver medal! 🥈 #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/c6qyxP6Em1
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024
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Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue claimed the Golden Boot with an impressive five goals, becoming the tournament’s top scorer.
The 34-year-old, also the captain for his side, notably secured a hat-trick against Ivory Coast in the group stage, marking a historic achievement as the oldest player to do so in AFCON history.
Ivory Coast’s coach Emerse Fae earned the Best Coach award. His strategic guidance throughout the tournament earned him the recognition. Simon Adingra also from Ivory Coast was recognized as the Best Young Player.
Fae was the assistant coach to Jean-Louis Gasset who was dismissed after the team’s heavy defeat against Equaorial Guinea.
South Africa’s Ronwen Williams received the Best Goalkeeper award for his exceptional performance in the quarter-finals, where he saved four out of five penalties in a shootout against Cape Verde.
Bafana Bafana also secured the Fair Play award and finished third in the tournament.
List of Awards:
- Best Player: William Ekong (Nigeria)
- Best Keeper: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
- Best Coach: Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast)
- Best Young Player: Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast)
- Top Scorer: Emilio Nsue (Equatorial Guinea) – 5 goals; Gelson Dala (Angola) – 4 goals; Mostafa Mohamed (Egypt) – 4 goals
- Fair Play: South Africa