<<Print>>

Ghana striker Dominic Adiyiah claims two personal awards, the Adidas Golden Ball and Golden Shoe gongs at the Fifa U-20 World Cup. Aside helping Ghana to win their first world title and a first by an African nation, Adiyiah was handed the Golden Ball award. The Golden Ball gong, the second most prestigious honour at the tournament is presented to the overall best player which Adiyiah claimed after beating Alex Teixeira to it. The Ghanaian striker topped the poll for Best Player at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2009, amassing 38% of the votes cast by the tournament's accredited media representatives. And Adiyiah also annexed the Golden Shoe award after finishing the competition with 8 goals, three ahead of Vladimir Koman of Hungary. The triple triumph emulates the feat achieved by Argentinian hitman Sergio Aguero, who also lifted the FIFA U-20 World Cup trophy, Golden Ball and Golden Shoe in Canada two years ago. But for all the goals that Adiyiah has scored in this competition, one in particular stands out for the 19-year-old. "It was against the South Africans," he said. "We desperately needed a goal and I scored it, it was one of the best goals of my career. I knew I was in line with the post and, as a striker; you have to think about what you are going to do when you get the ball, so when I got it I turned and just had a drive. You can't be afraid to miss chances like that."