South Africa’s representation at the tournament included Mamelodi Sundowns duo Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena. The two players performed well, with Mokoena scoring twice and Williams making history by becoming the first goalkeeper to save four penalties in a shootout in a major international tournament. Nigeria’s finalists Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong, and Ademola Lookman also made an impact in the competition. The Ivory Coast had three players recognized by CAF, including fullback Ghislan Konan and midfielders Franck Kessie and Jean Michael Seri.
Kessie’s equalizing goal in the final helped the host nation to get back into the match, before Sebastien Haller scored the winning goal. Emilio Nsue of Equatorial Guinea was a standout player, claiming the Golden Boot award after scoring five goals despite being a right-back.