Albion are set to welcome back an AFCON winner – after Simon Adingra played a starring role for Ivory Coast.

The Seagulls winger laid on the winning goal as his country beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final.

Amid the celebrations, he was named young player of the tournament. 

The host nation trailed at half-time but Adingra’s menace wide on the left helped them turn the game around.

 

He was a constant menace to Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina, who was at right-back for Nigeria.

The winning goal came when Adingra went outside his man and whipped in a cross which was deftly diverted inside the far post by Sebastien Haller.

Both Haller and Adingra missed the start of the tournament through injury.

Adingra only played a few minutes at the end of the group stages, at which point it seemed the hosts were crashing out.

But he has been increasingly influential throughout the knockout rounds.

Adingra’s success follows World Cup glory for then Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister with Argentina 14 months ago.