AFRICA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
CAF Awards: Okocha, Mikel and Amuneke among legends expected to light up Marrakech
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, MARRAKECH, MOROCCO.
Quantity-wise, Nigeria may not weigh much in this year’s CAF Awards which hold in the next few hours in the Atlas Mountain city of Marrakech in Morocco on Monday.
But the country has quality representatives who are most likely to win the prime awards for the African Footballer of the Year – Men and Women – in addition to possibly winning the Goalkeeper of the Year in the Women’s category.
Besides that, Nigeria, with seven, has the highest number of legends invited for the ceremony which will hold at the at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech.
Headlining the seven Nigerian legends expected at the ceremony is Austin Jay Jay Okocha, who inspite of his stellar performances, agonisingly missed out in 1998 and 2003.
Also invited is Mikel Obi who also missed out in 2013, 10 years after that of Okocha. He will be joined by another Nigerian legend, Emmanuel Amuneke, winner of the award in 1994.
Other Nigerian legends expected to grace this year’s CAF Awards are: Mercy Akide, Onome Ebi, Perpetua Nkwocha and Precious Dede.
Among the prestigious guests from other countries who have confirmed their presence are football legends, music and art celebrities and prestigious names from other sporting disciplines, including Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Abedi Pele (Ghana), El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Jonathan Pitroipa (Burkina Faso), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt), and Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), among others.
The 35 legends by countries
- Nigeria – 7
- Cameroon – 6
- Senegal – 4
- Cote d’Ivoire – 3
- Ghana -3
- Burkina Faso -2
- Guinea -2
- South Africa -2
- Zambia – 2
- Egypt 1
- DR Congo -1
- Togo -1
- Morocco -1
- Mozambique -1
Full List of Legends
- Augustine Jay-Jay Okocha- Nigeria
- Emmanuel Amuneke- Nigeria
- Mikel John Obi- Nigeria
- Mercy Akide – Nigeria
- Onome Ebi – Nigeria
- Perpetua Nkwocha- Nigeria
- Precious Dede – Nigeria
- Thomas N’Kono- Cameroon
- Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon
- Gaelle Enganamouit- Cameroon
- Geremi Njitap- Cameroon
- Patrick M’Boma-Cameroon
- Rigobert Song-Cameroon
- El Hadji Diouf- Senegal
- Demba Ba- Senegal
- Khalilou Fadiga- Senegal
- Mamadou Niang-Senegal
- Salomon Kalou- Cote d’Ivoire
- Clementine Toure- Cote d’Ivoire
- Siaka Tiene- Cote d’Ivoire
- Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew – Ghana
- Anthony Baffoe- Ghana
- Alberta Sackey – Ghana
- Jonathan Pitroipa- Burkina Faso
- Charles Kabore- Burkina Faso
- Titi Camara- Guinea
- Pascal Feindouno- Guinea
- Siphiwe Tshabalala- South Africa
- Janine van Wyk- South Africa
- Kalusha Bwalya- Zambia
- Rainford Kalaba-Zambia
- Herita Ilunga- DR Congo
- Ahmed Hassan-Egypt
- Manuel Jose Luis Bucuane- Mozambique
- Emmanuel Adebayor – Togo
- Mustapha El Haddaoui- Morocco
AFRICA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Gusau hails Nigeria’s big win at 2023 CAF Awards
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau was a very happy man on Monday night, as Nigeria swept important honours at this year’s CAF Football Awards held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The NFF supremo was personally present at the Hotel Movenpick and collected the first honour that came Nigeria’s way – Women’s National Team of the Year.
He dedicated the award to all women football teams on the African continent.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, who shone brightly at the FIFA World Cup finals in Down Under this year summer as the Super Falcons reached the Round of 16, was the undoubted winner of the honour of Goalkeeper of the Year (Women)
The Paris FC of France safe hands made a moving speech: “To all the young girls growing up in Africa, dreaming of becoming a footballer one day, believe me dreams do come true. My dad didn’t want me to play football but I’m sure he’s gonna see this and be happy. So, keep dreaming, keep working and I believe that one day you’ll get to this stage.”
After Asisat Oshoala won a record-extending sixth award as Player of the Year (Women) the auditorium went silent as it was time to present the men’s version. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah were the final three.
Osimhen was crowned, becoming the first Nigeria player in 24 years to take the gong. The last person was Nwankwo Kanu, back in 1999. Kanu also won in 1996, after Rashidi Yekini in 1993 and Emmanuel Amuneke in 1994. Victor Ikpeba took the crown in 1997.
Gusau said: “I am very excited tonight. This has been hugely rewarding for our football and for our country as a whole. I congratulate Osimhen, Oshoala and Nnadozie, and I congratulate the Super Falcons as a team for bringing us this honour.
“My charge would be that they all keep doing what they know how to do best, keep improving and keep winning. The sky will be the beginning for them.”
Osimhen became the first player in the history of the African Football Awards to have been crowned Player of the Year (Men) after having pocketed the Young Player of the Year (Men) in an earlier year. Only last Monday, the 24-year-old was crowned the 2022/2023 Player of the Year in Italy’s Serie A, after having won the Young Player of the Year in the same league in the 2021/2022 season.
AFRICA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Gusau hails Nigeria’s big win at 2023 CAF Awards
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau was a very happy man on Monday night, as Nigeria swept important honours at this year’s CAF Football Awards .
The NFF supremo was personally present at the Hotel Movenpick and collected the first honour that came Nigeria’s way – Women’s National Team of the Year<span.
He dedicated the award to all women football teams on the African continent.
Chiamaka Nnadozie, who shone brightly at the FIFA World Cup finals in Down Under this year summer as the Super Falcons reached the Round of 16, was the undoubted winner of the honour of Goalkeeper of the Year (Women).The Paris FC of France safe hands made a moving speech: “To all the young girls growing up in Africa, dreaming of becoming a footballer one day, believe me dreams do come true. My dad didn’t want me to play football but I’m sure he’s gonna see this and be happy. So, keep dreaming, keep working and I believe that one day you’ll get to this stage.”
After Asisat Oshoala won a record-extending sixth award as Player of the Year (Women)<span;>, the auditorium went silent as it was time to present the men’s version. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah were the final three.
Osimhen was crowned, becoming the first Nigeria player in 24 years to take the gong. The last person was Nwankwo Kanu, back in 1999. Kanu also won in 1996, after Rashidi Yekini in 1993 and Emmanuel Amuneke in 1994. Victor Ikpeba took the crown in 1997.
Gusau said: “I am very excited tonight. This has been hugely rewarding for our football and for our country as a whole. I congratulate Osimhen, Oshoala and Nnadozie, and I congratulate the Super Falcons as a team for bringing us this honour.
My charge would be that they all keep doing what they know how to do best, keep improving and keep winning. The sky will be the beginning for them.”
Osimhen became the first player in the history of the African Football Awards to have been crowned Player of the Year (Men) after having pocketed the Young Player of the Year (Men) in an earlier year. Only last Monday, the 24-year-old was crowned the 2022/2023 Player of the Year in Italy’s Serie A, after having won the Young Player of the Year in the same league in the 2021/2022 season.
AFRICA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
VIDEO: The Eagle has landed! Osimhen hits Marrakech in private Jet
BY KUNLE SOLAJA. Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, MOROCCO
The star man of the day, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen has finally landed in the Atlas Mountain city of Marrakech which is hosting the 2023 CAF Awards.
Dressed in sky blue shirts over an orange vest and blue shorts, the Napoli talismanic striker landed in a chattered private jet.
He is hoped to break the 24-year jinx that has afflicted Nigeria in the lead category of the CAF Awards. Nwankwo Kanu who was honoured on the opening match of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations in Lagos was the last Nigerian to have won.
That award was for the 1999 edition.
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