Nigeria Players Celebrate Stanley Nwabali After Penalty Saving Heroics Against South Africa: Video
FootballWilliam Troost Ekong, Ronwen Williams, and Emilio Nsue Win Top Awards at AFCON 2023
- Nigeria defender, William Troost-Ekong, has scooped the top award at AFCON 2023
- Emilio Nsue won the Golden Boot award despite Equatorial Guinea's Round of 16 exit
- Stanley Nwabali lost out on the goalkeeper award to South Africa's Ronwen Williams
Nigeria's William Troost-Ekong has been named the Player of the Tournament at the end of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The PAOK Thessaloniki defender starred for the Super Eagles, scoring three goals, including the opener in the final against the host nation.
Unfortunately, Nigeria failed to hold on to the lead as Ivory Coast came from a goal down to clinch the title on home soil.
The former Watford centre-back made six appearances at the tournament, leading from the back as Nigeria became the second-best defence at AFCON, as reported by Daily Post.
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South Africa shot-stopper, Ronwen Williams, beat Nigeria's Stanley Nwabali to win the Golden Glove, the award for the best goalkeeper. The Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper kept more clean sheets at the competition in Ivory Coast.
His penalty-saving heroics against Cape Verde, where he stopped four spot kicks, led to him becoming the ultimate hero against DR Congo in the third and fourth-place game.
Equatorial Guinea captain, Emilio Nsue, won the Golden Boot award despite the Nzalang Nacional's Round of 16 exit, as reported by Soccernet NG.
Nsue scored a hat-trick against Guinea Bissau at the group stage before adding a brace in the 4-0 humiliation of the host nation.
South Africa's Bafana Bafana won the fair play award at the end of the tournament.
Haller scores as Ivory Coast beat Nigeria
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FootballSports Brief also previously reported that Sebastien Haller scored the winner for Ivory Coast as they came from a goal down to beat Nigeria in the final of AFCON 2023.
The Super Eagles took the lead before half-time through Troost-Ekong but Franck Kessie levelled for the hosts after the break before Haller finished the game in style.
The hosts dominated the early exchanges with the Brighton forward coming close to netting after meeting a cross from the left from his countryman, Simon Adingra.