Asamoah Gyan sings Semenyo praises following winning goal in FA Cup final

Former Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has praised Antoine Semenyo after the forward scored the winning goal for Manchester City in the FA Cup final against Chelsea FC.

Reacting to the performance in a post on X on Saturday, Gyan wrote: “Every Ghanaian should be proud of this guy,” accompanied by fire emojis as he celebrated Semenyo’s historic display.

Semenyo delivered the decisive moment in the 72nd minute of a tense final, helping Manchester City secure a 1-0 victory and complete a domestic cup double after earlier winning the Carabao Cup.

The Ghana international produced a moment of brilliance inside the penalty area after Erling Haaland drove a low cross into the six-yard box. With the ball slightly behind him, Semenyo improvised with a first-time backheel flick that beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and found the far corner.

The strike proved enough to separate the two sides in a closely contested encounter at Wembley, with Semenyo causing problems for Chelsea’s defence throughout the game.

Operating with attacking freedom under manager Pep Guardiola, the forward repeatedly found dangerous spaces and stretched Chelsea’s five-man backline with his movement and direct play.

His performance earned him the Emirates FA Cup Player of the Match award after he emerged as the biggest attacking threat on the pitch.

The goal also secured a place for Semenyo in Ghanaian football history, as he became the first Ghanaian player to score in an FA Cup final.

It further capped an outstanding campaign for the striker, who finished the season with 20 goals in all competitions, including those scored during the first half of the campaign with AFC Bournemouth before his reported £64 million move to Manchester City in January.

The achievement saw Semenyo surpass the long-standing record held by Ghana legend Tony Yeboah, whose 19-goal tally for Leeds United during the 1995/96 season had stood for nearly three decades.

Semenyo also ended the FA Cup campaign as Manchester City’s leading contributor in the competition with five goal involvements, made up of three goals and two assists.