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| Toure, Aubameyang and Ayew |
This evening at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, the four-time winner of the Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year has another chance to further elongate the number of times he ruled the continent. And if that happens, Toure would have emerged as the only player in Africa to win the award five times.
When he won the 2014 edition, Toure only equaled the four-time that Camerounian Samuel Eto’o Fils did, though all his four were in a row (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014). Eto’o only won three in a row. That in itself was a record for Toure. But adding the fifth in a row appears an impossible task for any player to emulate now or even in the near future.
But the Manchester City player may not find the 2015 a piece of cake. He has a stiff opposition from Gabon and Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese has been on fire so to say literarily this term! Even the son Abedi Pele Ayew, a past winner of the award, Andrea Ayew of Ghana and Swansea City FC should not be ruled out of capable of getting the sympathy of the national coaches and captains of the various countries who voted.
However, the night of glitz and glamour is not going to be about the top award alone. The Africa-based ‘Player of the Year’ Award category has Mbwana Aly Samatta of Tanzania and TP Mazembe, Baghdad Bounedjah of Algeria and Etoile du Sahel and Robert Kidiaba of Democratic Republic of Congo and TP Mazembe in contention.
Awards are also going to be given out in the following categories; National Team of The Year, Club of The Year, and Coach of The Year. Other categories are Women’s National Team of The Year, Women’s Footballer of The Year, Most Promising Talent, Referee of The Year, Legend of The year, Fair Play Award, Platinum Award, which has only one nominee, and Africa Finest XI.
Two Nigerian champion teams, World Cup-winning Coach Emmanuel Amuneke, and star players Azubuike Okechukwu and Victor Osimhen are in line to be honoured at the Glo-CAF awards.
Nigeria’s Dream Team VI, winner of the 2nd Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal last month, in the process qualifying for this year’s Olympics football tournament in Rio de Janeiro, is nominated in the category of ‘National Team of the Year,’ alongside Nigeria’s Under-17 squad which successfully retained the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile in November.
Okechukwu, who captained the Nigeria U-23 to glory in Senegal and was also selected the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, is nominated for ‘Most Promising Talent’ alongside team-mate Etebo Oghenekaro, who finished as top scorer at the same event..
Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, is listed for ‘Coach of the Year,’ while his players, Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen are in consideration for ‘Youth Player of the Year.’
Award sponsors, Globacom, said yesterday in a statement that will be a gathering of top football celebrities and government officials across Africa.
“The Glo-CAF Awards 2015 is where you will meet the greatest African football legends, including the new African Footballer of the Year and winners in 12 other categories.”
Acting President of FIFA and President of Confederation of African Football, Alhaji Isa Hayatou is expected to preside over the ceremony where the best of music stars from across the continent will entertain guests.
Top acts expected to entertain guests include singing sensation, Salif Keita, an afro-pop singer cum songwriter from Mali, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African male choral group that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. Also listed is Awilo Longomba and a hosts of other top musical acts in the continent.
Some of the biggest stars in Nigeria have also been lined up to also light up the evening. They include superstar, Dapo Oyebanji (D’banj), Mavin Records’ Korede Bello and Hadiza Blell popularly known as Di’ja, Bez Idakula, Omawumi, Ego Ogbaro and legendary King of Juju Music, Sunny Ade. All of these top musicians cum entertainers are also Globacom Ambassadors.
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