African Footballer of the Year

[ant london]

I think it could be very good news for us that Adebayor (as current holder of the title) has not made the five player shortlist for this season's award (effectively this calendar year's award). He certainly didn't have a brilliant back half with Arsenal and although he started very very well his ban stalled his form.

I hope that this gives him the kick up the backside to get back to his best (although I did think he was good at the weekend).

Agree with what someone else said....he'll get loads of abuse at WHL and that could be just the ticket to motivate him. Unlike cry-baby Gareth who shrank from the vitriol I think Manu revels in getting loads

Back to the nominations, however, I can't believe that Essien has been nominated 5 times but never won this. He must be one of the most consistent African performers.




The reigning African Footballer of the Year, Togo and Manchester City forward, Emmanuel Adebayor did not make the top five nominations for the 2009 Glo-CAF Awards. Two former winners, Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba of Chelsea, and Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, however made it to the top five of the nominations announced in Lagos on Thursday.

Players from the European Champions League winner, Barcelona of Spain, dominated the list, with Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure and Mali's Seydou Keita joining the contenders for the prestigious award.

Ghana's Michael Essien won his fifth consecutive nomination to the top five, though he has never won the award.

The names of nominees for the Glo-CAF Player of the Year was announced in alphabetical order by CAF Communication's Director, Suleiman Habuba, and unlike the last edition, players competing in the African Clubs Championships failed to make the cut-off.

For Keita and Toure, who helped Barcelona of Spain to win the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League, it was their first nomination to the top bracket. Habuba said the short-listed names had been forwarded to the National Coaches of CAF member nations, for the final selection of the winner, which will be announced at the Award's gala scheduled for Dakar, Senegal on February 25, 2010.

Eto'o, who had a stormy transfer to Inter Milan from Barcelona, is making a come-back to the top five, after missing out in last year's nominations due to injury that sidelined him for most of the 2007/08 European season.

The Cameroonian hit fine form for Barcelona in the last European Champions League, which the club won, and also for the Indomitable Lions in the run-up to the 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup finals.

[Alioune DVToure]

I think it could be very good news for us that Adebayor (as current holder of the title) has not made the five player shortlist for this season's award (effectively this calendar year's award). He certainly didn't have a brilliant back half with Arsenal and although he started very very well his ban stalled his form.

I hope that this gives him the kick up the backside to get back to his best (although I did think he was good at the weekend).

Agree with what someone else said....he'll get loads of abuse at WHL and that could be just the ticket to motivate him. Unlike cry-baby Gareth who shrank from the vitriol I think Manu revels in getting loads

Back to the nominations, however, I can't believe that Essien has been nominated 5 times but never won this. He must be one of the most consistent African performers.





The reigning African Footballer of the Year, Togo and Manchester City forward, Emmanuel Adebayor did not make the top five nominations for the 2009 Glo-CAF Awards. Two former winners, Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba of Chelsea, and Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, however made it to the top five of the nominations announced in Lagos on Thursday.

Players from the European Champions League winner, Barcelona of Spain, dominated the list, with Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure and Mali's Seydou Keita joining the contenders for the prestigious award.

Ghana's Michael Essien won his fifth consecutive nomination to the top five, though he has never won the award.

The names of nominees for the Glo-CAF Player of the Year was announced in alphabetical order by CAF Communication's Director, Suleiman Habuba, and unlike the last edition, players competing in the African Clubs Championships failed to make the cut-off.

For Keita and Toure, who helped Barcelona of Spain to win the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League, it was their first nomination to the top bracket. Habuba said the short-listed names had been forwarded to the National Coaches of CAF member nations, for the final selection of the winner, which will be announced at the Award's gala scheduled for Dakar, Senegal on February 25, 2010.

Eto'o, who had a stormy transfer to Inter Milan from Barcelona, is making a come-back to the top five, after missing out in last year's nominations due to injury that sidelined him for most of the 2007/08 European season.

The Cameroonian hit fine form for Barcelona in the last European Champions League, which the club won, and also for the Indomitable Lions in the run-up to the 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup finals.

Really? I've got a few Spurs fans as mates and they all think he's an absolute hero now for his, for want of a better term, Arse-bating.

[ant london]

how he's perceived/treated when playing for City vs Arsenal compared to how he'll be treated playing for City vs Spurs at WHL are likely to be pretty different I would imagine

Maybe he'll get cheered all through the match

But let's not forget that the elephant washing/whore ditty was originated by Spurs fans.....I don't think he'll get too much support from the home crowd

[Alioune DVToure]

how he's perceived/treated when playing for City vs Arsenal compared to how he'll be treated playing for City vs Spurs at WHL are likely to be pretty different I would imagine

Maybe he'll get cheered all through the match

But let's not forget that the elephant washing/whore ditty was originated by Spurs fans.....I don't think he'll get too much support from the home crowd

I remember being pissed out of my head in a bar in Santander about this time last year with a similarly-offensive song being sung about a guy who's now a fan favourite here. Football fans are fickle and easily won over. I've liked Jaap Stam ever since the "above the law" and "busy cunts" comments in his book. Maybe Spurs will see the Adebayor incident the same way i.e., "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." It'll be interesting.

[ant london]

I shall put the kettle on and settle back with a brew to see what occurs

[Rag_hater]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year.
He is to much of a dirty cunt for my liking.
African football does seem to be played very hard IMO but Essien takes it to far methinks.

[ant london]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year..

what does that mean? I've read a few times and I am none the wiser

[Rag_hater]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year..

what does that mean? I've read a few times and I am none the wiser

I've seen him run his studs down peoples legs and go in two footed a few times along with elbowing a few people.And he is sneeky about it

[Alioune DVToure]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year.
He is to much of a dirty cunt for my liking.
African football does seem to be played very hard IMO but Essien takes it to far methinks.

I don't really get what you mean by that first part either. Do you mean that only up-and-coming players should receive the award?
Essien is arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier League and is definitely one of my favourite non-City, English-based players. I think I read somewhere too that he grew up in abject poverty and was regualarly in danger of dying of sickness as a child. If true, that makes his career to date all the more impressive still.

[Rag_hater]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year.
He is to much of a dirty cunt for my liking.
African football does seem to be played very hard IMO but Essien takes it to far methinks.

I don't really get what you mean by that first part either. Do you mean that only up-and-coming players should receive the award?
Essien is arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier League and is definitely one of my favourite non-City, English-based players. I think I read somewhere too that he grew up in abject poverty and was regualarly in danger of dying of sickness as a child. If true, that makes his career to date all the more impressive still.

He might well be one of the most competative midfielders in the Prem,however I dont think he is the best African of his generation.
And sad stories about poor Africans are 10 a penny so that doesn't endear him to me anymore.
And basically I think he is a bit of a thug and I like to see skill from a player so crunching tackles are not what I think makes a good football match too me but I suppose people like different things.

[Alioune DVToure]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year.
He is to much of a dirty cunt for my liking.
African football does seem to be played very hard IMO but Essien takes it to far methinks.

I don't really get what you mean by that first part either. Do you mean that only up-and-coming players should receive the award?
Essien is arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier League and is definitely one of my favourite non-City, English-based players. I think I read somewhere too that he grew up in abject poverty and was regualarly in danger of dying of sickness as a child. If true, that makes his career to date all the more impressive still.

He might well be one of the most competative midfielders in the Prem,however I dont think he is the best African of his generation.
And sad stories about poor Africans are 10 a penny so that doesn't endear him to me anymore.
And basically I think he is a bit of a thug and I like to see skill from a player so crunching tackles are not what I think makes a good football match too me but I suppose people like different things.

Surely you understand that football teams are all about balance. You couldn't have a midfield full of Messi's. Each role is equally important and, in my opinion, Essien is the best around at what he does. Not only that, but he has much more to his game beside his physicality.

[Kyle]

For me Essien is in the generation of Etoo and Drogba and Toure etc... so I dont think he deserves to be African footballer of the year.
He is to much of a dirty cunt for my liking.
African football does seem to be played very hard IMO but Essien takes it to far methinks.

I don't really get what you mean by that first part either. Do you mean that only up-and-coming players should receive the award?
Essien is arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier League and is definitely one of my favourite non-City, English-based players. I think I read somewhere too that he grew up in abject poverty and was regualarly in danger of dying of sickness as a child. If true, that makes his career to date all the more impressive still.

He might well be one of the most competative midfielders in the Prem,however I dont think he is the best African of his generation.
And sad stories about poor Africans are 10 a penny so that doesn't endear him to me anymore.
And basically I think he is a bit of a thug and I like to see skill from a player so crunching tackles are not what I think makes a good football match too me but I suppose people like different things.

I love De Jong for his no nonsence tackles and his agressive demeanor. I think people often become to enamoured with flair that the grind it out type players get lost in the mix. I would love to see Essien win it just because of his skill at the position he plays. If he wins it shows that they don't vote solely on stepovers and goals in the goals colum. It takes all types to make a team win.

[Wonderwall]

I think Essien is the best in the world in his position and would swap him for De Jong in a heartbeat.

[gillie]

I think Essien is the best in the world in his position and would swap him for De Jong in a heartbeat.

Seconded.

[Rag_hater]

I think Essien is the best in the world in his position and would swap him for De Jong in a heartbeat.

I'd disagree with that for me I think maybe Yaya,Kieta and Diarra are better and although they are getting a bit old but I think still have a few years left in them Gattuso and Vierra.

[Wonderwall]

I think Essien is the best in the world in his position and would swap him for De Jong in a heartbeat.

I'd disagree with that for me I think maybe Yaya,Kieta and Diarra are better and although they are getting a bit old but I think still have a few years left in them Gattuso and Vierra.

essien reads the game fantastic, has a great engine and an excellent tackler. He keeps things simple and is very effective, plus he is always good for a few goals a season, which is something you dont see from most players in his position.