The AFCON 2023 came to an end after Ivory Coast went on to lift the trophy against Nigeria in the final. Both sides showed tremendous display on the field.
As the tournament is concluded, here is a look at the various award winners.
AFCON 2023 Winner: Ivory Coast
Hosts Ivory Coast lifted the trophy after a bit of initial struggles in the competition. They made a huge comeback to win 2-1 against Nigeria in the final of the competition. Franck Kessie and Haller scored the goals for the winning team. William Troost-Ekong was on the score sheet for the Super Eagles.
AFCON 2023 Runners up:Nigeria
The Nigerian Super Eagles ended their campaign as the runners-up. After taking the lead in the first half, Nigeria failed to keep hold of the ball and were continuously tested by Ivory Coast’s attack.
AFCON 2023 Third Place: South Africa
Ronwen Williams’ heroics earned third place for the Bafana Bafana. They won the penalty shootout against DR Congo.
AFCON 2023 Fair Play Team: South Africa
AFCON 2023 Player of the Tournament: William Troost-Ekong
Nigeria’s captain was on the losing side but added an individual trophy to his name. He scored three goals in the tournament and his side had the best defence. Ekong was judged as the best player in the tournament.
AFCON 2023 Golden Boot: Emilio Nsue
The Africa Cup of Nations 2023 has witnessed a lot of low-scoring games. Most teams have relied on teamwork, rather than individual brilliance. But one player had an outstanding tournament in front of the goal.
Equatorial Guinea’s captain Emilio Nsue scored goals in only two matches and finished as the top scorer in the tournament. After failing to score against Nigeria, Nsue netted a hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau in the second group game. He then added a couple against Ivory Coast to take his tally to five goals. Unfortunately, Guinea eliminated Nsue’s team in the Round of 16.
Mostafa Mohamed of Egypt and Gelson Dala of Angola finished only a goal behind Equatorial Guinea’s captain.
AFCON 2023 Best Goalkeeper: Ronwen Williams
South Africa’s captain was undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the tournament. The 32-year-old kept five clean sheets in seven matches. Williams led his side to the semis after saving four penalties against Cape Verde. He then made two saves to secure third place for the Bafana Bafana in the competition.
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