Cybereagles

Teenager Martins in running for African player honours



JOHANNESBURG, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Inter Milan teenager Obafemi Martins has been named as one of the five finalists for the 2003 African Footballer of the Year award, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced in Cairo on Monday.

Nigerian Martins, who has yet to play any internationals for his country, featured for Inter in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last year.

His Nigerian compatriot Austin Okocha of English premier league club Bolton Wanderers is also among the five finalists.

The other three in the running are Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast and Tunisian fullback Hatem Trabelsi.

Eto'o is among the finalists for the third successive year and is the favourite for the award after helping Cameroon to the final of the Confederations Cup in France. He also scored two goals in the Spanish Cup finals for Real Mallorca in June.

Eto'o and the Ajax Amsterdam defender Trabelsi were the only two Africans named among the 50 candidates for the 2003 European Footballer of the Year award.

Okocha's inclusion is a surprise as is that of Drogba, who has only been burst into the limelight since signing for Marseille in France in August.

FREQUENT SCORER

He has been a frequent scorer for the club since his move from Guingamp.

None of the five 2003 candidates has previously won the award. In 2001 and 2002, the accolade was won by Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf.

A surprise omission this year is that of Shabani Nonda of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who helped Monaco to the French title last season.

Nonda was injured in the early stages of this season and will miss the African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia.

The 2003 African Footballer of the Year is to be named at a news conference in Tunis on January 23 and will be handed the trophy at the annual African football awards gala in Yaounde, Cameroon on April 30.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=r ... &type=lgns

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 22 (Reuters) - List of previous winners of African Footballer of the Year:
1970 - Salif Keita (St Etienne and Mali)
1971 - Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)
1972 - Cherif Souleymane (Hafia and Guinea)
1973 - Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe and Zaire)
1974 - Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville and Congo)
1975 - Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia and Morocco)
1976 - Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1977 - Tarak Dhiab (Esperance and Tunisia)
1978 - Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)
1979 - Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1980 - Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1981 - Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara and Algeria)
1982 - Thomas Nkono (Espanol and Cameroon)
1983 - Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli and Egypt)
1984 - Theophile Abega (Toulouse and Cameroon)
1985 - Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces and Morocco)
1986 - Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca and Morocco)
1987 - Rabah Madjer (FC Porto and Algeria)
1988 - Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges and Zambia)
1989 - George Weah (Monaco and Liberia)
1990 - Roger Milla (St Denis and Cameroon)
1991 - Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille and Ghana)
1992 - Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille and Ghana)
1993 - Abedi Pele Ayew (Lyon and Ghana)
1994 - George Weah (Paris St Germain and Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon and Nigeria)
1995 - George Weah (AC Milan and Liberia)
1996 - Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan and Nigeria)
1997 - Victor Ikpeba (Monaco and Nigeria)
1998 - Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna and Morocco)
1999 - Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal and Nigeria)
2000 - Patrick Mboma (Parma and Cameroon) 2
001 - El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Lens and Senegal)
2002 - El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Liverpool and Senegal)

The African Footballer of the Year was organised by the French soccer magazine 'France Football' until 1994, since when the Confederation of African Football has instituted a new award.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=r ... &type=lgns

Oga anytime anyday. Anything other than that will be uncivilized IMHO.

What is Obafemi doing here? Celebrating a goal even before scoring or what?

From the way things are going JJ will not win because they said he is a suprise on the list,aint that funny?

omey2k4 wrote:From the way things are going JJ will not win because they said he is a suprise on the list,aint that funny?

The head of the person wey talk am no dey house. How can Oga name be a surprised on the list. In fact the thing of surprise to me is why they think the other 4 nominees stand a chance. It wouldn't be close. Mark my words. :x

Robby just dont say it was written thanx.

omey2k4 wrote:Robby just dont say it was written thanx.

No I wouldn't. I promise to say it it like I told you over the phone that it is written that Manure will contest for the EPL title this year.

why is JJ's inlusion a surprise? See as dem dey set the scenario up for Eto'o to win....

Chima wrote:why is JJ's inlusion a surprise? See as dem dey set the scenario up for Eto'o to win....

Can you imagine? :x

Na JJ go win am...I don distribute egunje to make sure of that....unless our own people go distribute them votes between Oba and JJ.

Egunje wrote:Na JJ go win am...I don distribute egunje to make sure of that....unless our own people go distribute them votes between Oba and JJ.

Come to think of it maybe that na why dem but Obafemi sef. Kai! I bow for CAF oh. That way Etoo go come win because Obafemi go snatch the votes of some. Well e no go work. :x

Robbynice wrote:

Chima wrote:why is JJ's inlusion a surprise? See as dem dey set the scenario up for Eto'o to win....

Can you imagine? :x

I dey fear o. Eto'o na very strong contender.

I hope Obafemi gets it; Okocha deserves it better than anyone else tho. Goodluck to them both.

Robbynice wrote:

omey2k4 wrote:From the way things are going JJ will not win because they said he is a suprise on the list,aint that funny?

The head of the person wey talk am no dey house. How can Oga name be a surprised on the list. In fact the thing of surprise to me is why they think the other 4 nominees stand a chance. It wouldn't be close. Mark my words. :x

Rob,
sorry but Eto'o would win it. And when he's done we would come back and debate why.

.. is no threat to Oga. I'm sure the naija people ready to vote know who would win it and will thus vote for Oga. Martins may share the votes of other Africans, but I think he has been put there so that he can pick the young player award.

Vote goes to Oga for what he's done at Bolton. though its like ly CAF will give it to Eto'o. Quite frankly,this is a drab list, only Martins and Drogba have had any considerable impact on the European stage.

Femi is good, but he has not done anything to deserve winning. Okocha has had the most influence in the fortunes of his club and thus deserves to win.

Okocha has been the most outstanding African playing abroad in the toughest league and in weak team.
His impact is well felt in Bolton and they wouldn't be in the premiership if not for him.
His leadership is instrumental in their being in the mid table at xmas. I watched him play LIVE against Spurs and his performance was vintage and I was proud I was with my son and a Nigerian!

Well La Liga is better than the EPL. Eto'o has made a tremendous impact this year for both club and country, he deserves to win it this time. Okocha has also done very well. Hats to him for savibg Bolton from relegation. But what did he do for Nigeria this year? I believe this is the criteria in which the voting comittee should take into consideration. Remember Diouf won it after a good season with Lens and taking Senegal to the world cup, ahead of Kuffour who also had a very good season with Bayern but nothing for Ghana.
Anyway may the best win, and if I were voting, I will definately give it to Eto'o. This is not about being patriotic, I am merely being objective.

Martins on the other hand, should win the young player of the year, since he hasn't really made enough impact to be considered for the grand prize. I was surprised to see his name there. I was expecting to see someone like Shabani Nonda, or Stephen Pienaar, as to me these two deserved to have been on the list.

Rogermilla wrote:Well La Liga is better than the EPL. Eto'o has made a tremendous impact this year for both club and country, he deserves to win it this time. Okocha has also done very well. Hats to him for savibg Bolton from relegation. But what did he do for Nigeria this year? I believe this is the criteria in which the voting comittee should take into consideration. Remember Diouf won it after a good season with Lens and taking Senegal to the world cup, ahead of Kuffour who also had a very good season with Bayern but nothing for Ghana.
Anyway may the best win, and if I were voting, I will definately give it to Eto'o. This is not about being patriotic, I am merely being objective.

Martins on the other hand, should win the young player of the year, since he hasn't really made enough impact to be considered for the grand prize. I was surprised to see his name there. I was expecting to see someone like Shabani Nonda, or Stephen Pienaar, as to me these two deserved to have been on the list.

Rogermilla, we all know this has little to do with objectivity but more of patriotism.

It is a close one in my opinion but I think all those short-listed with the possible exception of Femi Martins deserve the accolade but I will not be surprised if Etoo’ gets it.
He probably might nick it based on the fact that he is a higher profiled player. He plays in a better league, better club and has done greater things for both club and country vis-à-vis JJ and Trabelsi.

May the best player win it.