Antoine Semenyo produced a moment of brilliance to inspire Manchester City FC to a narrow 1-0 victory over Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Ghana international delivered the decisive moment in a tense and closely fought encounter, scoring the only goal of the match to hand City another major trophy under Pep Guardiola.
With both sides struggling to find a breakthrough, Semenyo produced a finish of pure instinct in the second half. Receiving the ball in a crowded area with his back to goal and defenders closing in, the forward reacted brilliantly by improvising a clever touch into the bottom corner.
The strike not only secured the FA Cup title for Manchester City but also etched Semenyo’s name into history as the first Ghanaian footballer ever to score in an FA Cup final.
The landmark goal also saw the 25-year-old break a long-standing Ghanaian scoring record. Semenyo’s strike was his 20th goal of the season across all competitions, surpassing the previous record of 19 goals set by Ghana legend Tony Yeboah during the 1995/96 campaign with Leeds United FC.
Speaking after the match, Semenyo admitted the finish came through quick thinking and instinct.
“I just tried to improvise the best I could and it went in the bottom corner so I can’t complain,” he said.
“I’ve done it a couple of times in training. It was behind me so that’s the only thing I could do and luckily for me it went in.”
The Ghanaian forward has enjoyed a remarkable season split between two clubs. He scored 10 goals during the first half of the campaign with AFC Bournemouth before adding another 10 since joining Manchester City in January.
Despite his rapid rise, Semenyo credited hard work and Guardiola’s influence for his development.
“It’s been hard work. I am learning a lot with a lot of top pros around me and a top coach. Long may it continue,” he added.
The FA Cup success marks Semenyo’s second trophy since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, having already helped City win the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.
He also paid tribute to Guardiola’s relentless winning mentality.
“He’s a madman. We all love him. He’s so passionate and wants to win trophies. What he’s done for the club is amazing. I’m grateful he gets to coach me and make me a better player.”
