Simon Adingra, aged 22, emerged as the standout player in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, leading Ivory Coast to a 2-1 victory over Nigeria on February 11. His pivotal role in the match, marked by two crucial assists, earned him the man of the match title and played a significant role in securing Ivory Coast’s third AFCON title.
While expectations were high for Nigerian Victor Osimhen and Ivorian Seko Fofana, it was Adingra who stole the spotlight with his exceptional performance in the 2024 AFCON final. His contribution wasn’t limited to the assists for Franck Kessié and Sébastien Haller; Adingra also made six key passes and completed five out of nine attempted dribbles, touching the ball 59 times and creating 29 crosses, proving to be a relentless threat to the Nigerian defense.
Adingra’s talent was no secret to Jean-Louis Gasset, the former Ivory Coast coach, who had resigned before the knockout stages. Despite Adingra coming into the tournament with an injury from Brighton, Gasset had faith in his abilities, choosing him over the more experienced Wilfried Zaha. This decision, initially met with skepticism, was vindicated as Adingra and Haller played key roles in Ivory Coast’s triumphant campaign.
🇨🇮 Simon Adingra 🇨🇮
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 11, 2024
A final masterpiece by him to be the TotalEnergies Man of the Match! 🤩#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023Final | #NGRCIV | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/mp8JOKl0uQ
Before shining on the AFCON stage, Adingra had faced challenges, including being scammed at the age of 12 by a fake coach promising football training in Benin for €300. Overcoming this ordeal, he honed his skills in Ghana before moving to FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark in 2020 and later to Brighton in the Premier League for €8 million.
His journey from a promising start at Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium to scoring in his first Premier League start for Brighton on August 12 underscores a remarkable ascent, now further elevated by his AFCON success.
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