Super Eagles defender and assistant captain, William Troost-Ekong, who was named best player at the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations, said he would have preferred to win the title than the individual award he got at the championship.
Ekong was voted the most valuable player at the championship by a CAF panel, which looked at each player’s contributions to his team, as well as their demeanour throughout the championship.
Speaking after the game, Ekong thanked Nigerians for their support and apologised on behalf of the team for their failure to win the title. He promised that the Eagles would come back stronger after the final game’s setback.
Other award winners at the end of the championship are South Africa’s Romwen Williams, who beat Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali to the Ecobank goalkeeper of the competition. Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue won the Puma Golden Boot award, and Angola’s Gelaon Dala won the Silver Ball.
Simon Adingra and Emerson Fae, both of Côte d’Ivoire, won the Best Young Player and Best Coach of the tournament awards, respectively.
