On Thursday, January 9, 2014, a new football king will be crowned on the continent at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
It would be another night to celebrate African football as the players ,coaches, administrators ,stakeholders and over 1 billion viewers will tune to watch Africa celebrate and crown a new king.
Super Eagles Midfielder, Mikel Obi will have Cote d’ivoire’s Duo of YayaToure and DidierDrogba to battle in his quest to win the 2013 CAF player of the year award for the first time.
While Drogba has won the award three times, Toure has won it twice while this is the first time Mikel has made it to the top three.
Drogba plies his trade with Turkish club, Galatasaray, while Toure, the defending champion plays for the Manchester City and Mikel Obi is a regular feature for Chelsea FC of London.
Mikel is not the only Nigerian in the running for an individual honour as 2013 African Cup of Nation hero, Sunday Mba is also in the race for the African footballer of the year for players based in Africa.
Mba has two big hurdles in Egyptian duo of Ahmed fatty and Mohammmed AbouTrika.
The list for the African footballers of the year award is prepared through a vigorous process by the technical , footballer and the media committees of CAF, telling into account the performance of the players for the national teams, clubs from January to November of each year and ultimate winner of the award will be decided by votes from the head coaches or the technical directors of the national association affiliated to CAF.
Since 1992, when the award was conceptualized, the list of winners has been won by accomplished footballers on the continent.
1992 – Abedi Pele, Ghana, 1993 – Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria, 1994 – Emmanuel Amuneke–Nigeria , 1995 – George Weah – Liberia, 1996 – Nwankwo Kanu, Nigeria, 1997 – Victor Ikpeba, Nigeria, 1998 – Mustapha Hadji, Morocco and 1999 Nwankwo Kanu, Nigeria.
Others include 2000, Patrick Mboma – Cameroun, El-Hadj Diouf, Senegal, 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Samuel Eto’o and same in 2004 and 2005, Didier Drogba of Cote d’ Ivoire in 2006, Federick Kanoute, 2007 from Mali, Emmanuel Adebayor from Togo in 2008, Didier Drogba of Cote d’ ivoire, in 2009, Samuel Eto’o in 2010 from Cameroun and Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast in 2011 and 2012.
For Yaya Toure, the current BBC African footballer of the year is going a hat-trick like his fellow country man Didier Drogba and Cameroun’s Samuel Eto’o.
At 30, this midfielder remains a rallying for club and country and has distinguished himself excellently for club and country.
Toure is renowned for combining great vision, passing ability physical power with technique. A versatile player, he aspired to be a striker during his youth and frequently played as a boxed to boxed midfielder for club and country and often switches from defensive to offensive roles throughout matches.
He has won the PFA Premier League of the year 2011/2012, FA Community Shield man of the match 2012, Premier League 2011/2012 FA cup 2010/2011, La liga 2008/2009, 2009/2010, Copa Del Rey 2008/2009, UEFA Champions League 2008/2009, UEFA Super Cup 2009, FIFA World Club 2009.
At the Nation’s Cup early last year, Cote d’ Ivoire were the favorites to win the cup but failed to win against Nigeria at the quarter finals in the most anticipated match of the tournament, but Toure still remains a strong factor in the game for club and country.
For Didier Yves Drogba Tebily is a defender’s nightmare any day. For a striker who senior national team career since 2002 has seen him play 98 times and score 62 goals as at the last count shows the legendary status of these dramatic, energetic and humble hit man.
He is the captain and all time scorer of the Ivorian national team. He is best remembered for his career at Chelsea, for whom he scored more goals than any foreign player and is currently the club’s fourth highest goals scorer of all time.
His key attribute include his physical strength, ability in the air, and his ability to retain possession of the ball. He has captained the national team since 2006 and currently plies his trade at Galatasaray in Turkey as they are in the second round of the UEFA Champion’s League.
Drogba has won the English FA Premier League in 2004/2005, 2005/2006/2009/2010, FA Cups – 2006/2007, 2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2011/2012.
Football League Cup 2004/2005, 2006/2007, UEFA Champion’s League, 2011/2012, FA Community Shield 2005, 2009.
At Galatasaray, he won the league in 2012/2013. He has won the African Footballer of the year several times, BBC African Footballer of the year and other numerous awards.
He was also instrumental to the qualification of Cote d’voire to the world cup this year in Brazil.
John Mikel Obi, is the youngest of the trio of the nominees who at 26 has been seen as one of Africa’s Football models and ambassador for the teeming youths who followed the beautiful game passionately.
Mikel has been a success story for club and country as defending midfield roles have curtailed the incursion of attackers on the team.
He has featured for the super Eagles 51 times scoring four goals and is a product of the FIFA youth cadre system having played at the FIFA under 17 and 20 world cups.
The year ended, Mikel has been outstanding as he held the forte for the Super Eagles won the Nation’s Cup for the third time last year in the South Africa, his pivotal role in the midfield gave the team the needed boost and confidence.
Mikel also won the Europa Cup last season with Chelsea played at the Confederation Cup last summer and featured prominently in all the world cup qualify fixtures for Nigeria which earned the country a historic fifth World cup appearance at the mundial this year.
A player who rarely scores, Mikel’s work rate has been widely applauded especially with the manager at club level; Jose Mourinho who changed and influenced his style of play to a defending role which has made him outstanding.
At the FIFA under 20 world cup, Mikel was adjudged the second best player after Lionel Messi and he still plays top flight football.
He has featured in all 14 premier league matches for Chelsea this season, the league cup, five champions league matches so far this season and has been widely touted as the next super Eagles captain.
At the Nigerian Football Awards held late last year, he won an award.
The choice of a winner as the next African Football King may be tricky. It might be a close margin, but a winner will emerge. The final shortlist has been objective. The fans may have their choice which may be biased for obvious reasons, but ruling body, CAF will have the final word.
For two of the nominees, history may be consolidated, while one may make history. You can bet where my choice lies.
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