Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa have the chance of being named the African Footballer of the Year Award having been included in the 25-man shortlist for the year’s Glo-CAF Awards billed to take place in Lagos in January 2015.
Enyeama, with French club Lille, and Musa of CSKA Moscow have been spectacular for both club and country in the period under review.
Musa in recent times have popped up important goals for Nigeria amongst which is the brace netted at the Brazil 2014 World where one of his goal in the Mundial was shortlisted as one of the best goals scored in Brazil.
On his part, Enyeama was simply outstanding in-between the sticks for Nigeria, and helping the Eagles to the second round.
Both Musa and Enyeama played pivotal roles in Nigeria emerging tops at the last Africa Cup of Nations and many agree that they deserve the nomination from CAF.
While the duo of Enyeama and Musa are being celebrated, another Nigerian player, Ejike Uzoenyi made the list for the Player of the Year Based in Africa.
Uzoenyi, who currently plies his trade with PSL side Mamelodi Sundowns, is the only Nigerian player in the 20-man shortlist.
Meanwhile, other Players listed for the African Player of the Year award include the Ghanaian duo of Asamoah Gyan of Al-Ain and Kwadwo Asamoah Juventus, the Senegalese Dame N’doye of Lokomotiv Moscow and Sadio Mané of Southampton as well as Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo.
Also listed are ‘Gervinho’ of Cote d’Ivoire and AS Roma and his fellow country men: Wilfred Bony of Swansea and Yaya Toure of Man City. The Cameroonian trio of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of Schalke 04, Stephane Mbia of Sevilla and Vincent Aboubakar of Porto, Yao Kouassi Gervais are also in the run.
The list also has Algerian quartet of Islam Slimani of Sporting Lisbon, Raïs M’Bolhi of Philadelphia Union, Sofiane Feghouli of Valencia and Yacine Brahimi of Porto as well as Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and Ferdjani Sassi from Tunisia and CS Sfaxien.
Same goes for Yannick Bolasie of DR Congo and Crystal Palace, Thulani Serero of South Africa and Ajax, Seydou Keita of Mali and As Roma, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund and Mohamed El Neny of Egypt and Basel.
No Nigerian player has won Africa’s top player award since the turn of the millennium.
