Cote D’ Ivoire and Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure, was on Thursday in Lagos crowned the CAF African Footballer of the Year 2013, for the third time consecutively.
Toure, 30, beat off competition from Nigeria’s Mikel Obi and fellow Ivorian, Didier Drogba, who came second and third respectively.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2013 GLO/CAF Awards was hosted by former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh and South Africa’s SuperSports’ satellite television presenter, Carol Tshabalala.
Nigeria, however, had some cause to celebrate at the ceremony as it won in six separate categories.
Youth sensation and Most Valuable Player at the U-17 World Cup, Kelechi Iheanacho, was named the ‘Young Talent of the Year.
The Super Eagles handler, Stephen Keshi won ‘Coach of the Year’ and the Nigerian Supporters received the ‘CAF Fair Play Award’.
The Super Eagles were voted the ‘National Team of the Year’ ahead of Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, while the Golden Eaglets were named the ‘Youth National Team of the Year’.
President Goodluck Jonathan was presented with the ‘CAF Platinum Award’ for what was described as “exemplary commitment and support to the development of football”.
The Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Bolaji Abdullahi, received the award on behalf of the president.
In other categories, Al Ahly of Egypt won the ‘Club of the Year.
Haimoudi Djamel of Algeria bagged the ‘Referee of the Year’, while Mohamed Aboutreika of Egypt was named the ‘African Player of the Year Based in Africa’.
The late French born coach of Senegal, Bruno Metsu, and Mehdi Faria, a Brazilian expatriate who took charge of Morocco in the Mexico 1986 World Cup’, were both recognised as ‘CAF Legends’.
Metsu’s wife received her husband’s award which was in recognition of his meritorious services by qualifying Senegal for the Quarter-Finals of the Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup.
Faria was represented by his son.
The CAF Best XI included three Nigerian players: goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike; while Stephen Keshi was picked as the coach.
Others were Ahmed Fathy, Mehdi Benatia, Kevin Constant, Yaya Toure, Mohamed Aboutreika, Jonathan Pitroipa, Asamoah Gyan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Speaking after receiving his award, Yaya Toure thanked his family and his club for supporting him throughout his career.
He said it was “unbelievable” for him to have won the award for the third time.
The CAF president, Isa Hayatou, in his address, said the award was Africa’s way of honouring those who have continued to enhance the reputation of African football.
He regretted that a player like Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, in spite of his exceptional talent, never won the African Player of the Year award in his career.
“Personally, I regret the absence of Okocha, but I’m not part of the jury which is constituted by journalists, coaches and technical directors.
“I cannot make decisions on my own, rather it is the collective effort of the CAF Executive Committee,” he said.
Hayatou thanked Globacom for partnering with CAF in organising the awards.
He said that the partnership had added “glamour and prestige” to the event.
Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga Jr., thanked Nigerians and the other African countries for supporting the company in its 10 years of existence.
Adenuga said he was delighted with the giant strides that African football had made across the world.
“The quality of football played in the elite leagues around the continent from South Africa to Morocco, Nigeria and beyond, has improved significantly.
“Our wish is that they shall all push beyond the limits and pleasantly surprise the world with outstanding performances.
“We are proud to have sponsored this award for the past eight years and we wish to commend CAF for keeping the flag of African football flying prestigiously in the global arena,” he said.
Some notable winners in the past include Abedi Pele, the late Rashidi Yekini, George Weah, Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amuneke, El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba.
There were musical performances by popular African artistes like P-Square, Lagbaja, D’banj, Flavour, Ego, Chee, Lira of South Africa and Zeynab of Benin Republic
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