Sunday(L) Michael Osei, Owusu, Akunnor, Kuffuor, Preko, Okorokwo, Appiah, Ahmad Ahmad, Asiamah, Konadu, Nyantakyi And Lepowura MND Jawula In A Pose After The Event
Gabon Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadio Mane, Senegal and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah will battle for supremacy for the 2017 AITEO Confederation of African Countries (CAF) African Player of the Year Award in Accra on January 4, next year.
Ex Ghana and Bayern Munich defender Sammy Osei Kuffuor, who was tasked to mention the nominees, out of respect allowed his senior colleague coach Ibrahim Sunday to play that role.
The trio emerged from an initial 30-man list which was pruned down to eleven.
In the expected high profile gala in Accra next year, the final phase would be determined by votes from Head Coaches/ Technical Directors of the 54 National Associations affiliated to CAF, as well as Associate members.
Also among those to determine the final winner are Reunion Island and Zanzibar, other half of the 20-member panel of ten experts.
A well-organized media briefing for the announcement of the final three in Accra yesterday attracted CAF’s president Ahmad Ahmad and his entourage, Youth and Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah, Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, Kwesi Nyantakyi and all who matter in football in the country.
Sponsors of the event, AITEO, Vice President, Commercial and Gas Victor Okoronkwo expressed his outfit’s readiness to partner the prestigious Awards Gala saying, “The Founder and Global Executive Vice Chairman of AITEO Global Group, Mr. Benedict Peters, has asked me to convey his excitement and that of the AITEO Group Board in reaching this Milestone Deal of Aiteo’s Sponsorship of the CAF Awards.
“As we look forward to a sustainable partnership with CAF, we believe that together we can change the face of football in the continent whilst providing hope and opportunity to our teeming youth through this beautiful game of football. AITEO is a leading Energy Group, though founded in Nigeria, AITEO has regional and indeed global presence and aspirations.”
He added that “From a humble beginning in the downstream oil and gas sector in 1999, AITEO diversified into the Upstream Energy Sector, through strategic investments and steady growth. AITEO today is Africa’s leading independent oil and gas producer in Nigeria managing key supply infrastructure in that sector.”
Youth and Sports Minister and CAF boss in separate addresses commended the sponsors highly for rallying behind the prestigious Awards Gala.
Other legends present at the ceremony included, C.K Akonnor, Coach Kwesi Appiah, Maxwell Konadu, Azumah Nelson, Dan Owusu, Willie Klutse, Ibrahim Sunday, Kennedy Agyepong (Kenpong) and many more.
Below is the full list of the nominees.
African Player of the Year
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)
Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)
Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)
Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & Rossyanka)
Women’s National Team of the Year
Ghana U-20
Nigeria U-20
South Africa
Coach of the Year
Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)
Hector Cuper (Egypt)
L’Hussein Amoutta
National Team of the Year
Cameroon
Egypt
Nigeria
Club of the Year
Al Ahly
TP Mazembe
Wydad Athletic Club
Youth Player of the Year
Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)
Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)
Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)
Referee of the Year
Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)
Ghead Grisha (Egypt)
Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)
Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)
Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum