Wednesday 7 December 2011

Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year Award

By: Online Publisher's

In a few days time, Africa's new football king would be crowned in Accra, Ghana subject to Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards Panel’s decision on who to succeed Indomitable Lions striker, Samuel Eto'o Fils, in the annual Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year Awards ceremony.
Already, football pundits believe that the only person suitable to receive the continent's marble is Cote d'Ivoire and Manchester City’s player, Yaya Toure. The Barcelona’s former star is at his best and raring to do more with his English Club still topping the Premiership table this season.

According to the Supersport analyst and football agent based in South Africa, Mamodu Gaye, it would be more honourable to see Toure winning the award.

Gaye said the Manchester City’s midfielder has put in much for his club and country since last season and he deserves to mount the podium of honour. Toure is renowned for combining speed and physical power with technique on the field of play and has 58 caps for Cote d'Ivoire, representing the team in its first appearance in a FIFA World Cup, in the 2006 competition as well as in 2010. He is the younger brother of his Cote d'Ivoire and Manchester City’s teammate, Kolo Touré. He also has a younger brother named Ibrahim who currently plays for Egyptian side Makasa.

“Yaya is the player of the moment. He has everything going for him. He has every opportunity to win the award. I would have given it to Eto'o but he didn't measure up since he moved to Asia. He failed with his national team. No one could believe Cameroon would not qualify to play in the 2012 Nations Cup and for Didier Drogba, he didn't pick up at all. He has lost form. He scored just 2 goals for Chelsea this season,” he said.
The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best player each year, has been conferred by the CAF since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine.

The changes resulted in parallel Golden Ball awards given out to Abedi Pele and George Weah in 1993 and 1994 by the magazine. Although the CAF sponsored the awards won for those years by Rashidi Yekini and Emmanuel Amuneke. France Football discontinued the election from 1995 after the European Ballon d'Or - also awarded by the magazine, had been opened to all players in the European leagues.

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