Christian footballer Antoine Semenyo said scoring the winning goal in Manchester City’s FA Cup triumph had felt “surreal” after his rise from non-league football to Wembley victory.
Speaking after Saturday’s one-nil victory over Chelsea, the Ghanaian international said he was grateful for the journey that had taken him to the top of the English game.
According to The FA, Semenyo scored with an improvised finish in the 72nd minute to secure Manchester City’s eighth FA Cup title.
The 26-year-old, who joined from Bournemouth in January for around £49 million, was later named Player of the Match.
Reflecting on the moment, he said: “I’ve never competed for trophies like this before so it’s all new to me. It took a long time to get here but, listen, I’m grateful.”
Semenyo also praised manager Pep Guardiola for helping him settle at the club.
“The first thing he said to me when I came here was ‘don’t change your game’,” he explained. “He still wants me to create a bit of chaos, dribble at defenders and get shots away.”
Premier Christian News previously reported how Semenyo publicly shared his Christian faith earlier this year after a video showed him praying pitchside with pastor Jon Thompson before Bournemouth’s Premier League match against Arsenal.
The player was also recently baptised and wrote online that he thanked God for His “protection, blessings and work” over his life.