Ghana winger Christian Atsu has revealed his surprise at being named the Player of the Tournament at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations despite the presence of top stars in the competition.
After Ivory Coast edged Ghana on penalties in the final, many expected one of the Elephants stars like Yaya Toure and Gervinho to pick up the honour.
But such were the performances of Atsu it was he who collected the award, to at least record a personal triumph after a disappointing end to the Black Stars’ tournament.
And the on-loan winger admitted he didn’t expect to walk away with such a prize.
“I thank God for what he has done for me,” he said. “I always expect good things from Him but I wasn’t expecting to be the best player in the tournament.
“Any gift that comes from God I appreciate so much and it has given me a lot of confidence and motivated me for the future.
“I was happy with my performances and I worked very hard. I had a lot of help from my teammates contributing to my good form.”
If that wasn’t enough, the 23-year-old then scooped the Goal of the Tournament for his strike against hosts Equatorial Guinea.
“I wasn’t expecting to win that either but I am very happy people voted for that goal as the best in the competition,” added Atsu.
“I will keep pushing and working hard to get more goals for Ghana.
Atsu is player of Chelsea but was loaned to Everton.