Glo CAF Awards : Eto’o On the Podium ! (11.03.2010)
Fred VUBEM TOH
By press time most bookmakers tipped him favourite.
Cameroon’s prolific goal fetcher, Samuel Eto’o is favourite for the prestigious African best player award for a record fourth time. Eto’o was in contention for the 2009 edition of the trophy which he won successively in 2003, 2004 and 2005, with Côte d’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba and Ghana’s Michael Essien. In addition to the trophy expected to be given to him at the Sate House Banquete hall in Accra, Eto’o Fils will equally receive a cash prize of 20.000 U.S. dollars about FCFA 9 Million).
Samuel Eto’o virtually won everything in 2009. He was winner of the European champion’s league with his former club, FC Barcelona, winner of the Spanish league, the Kings Cup, winner of the Spanish super cup. He hit the target 30 times in the
championship and scored six goals in 12 matches played in the European champion’s league.
At the African level, the Inter Milan striker was second highest scorer in the joint qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations and World Cup behind Burkina Faso’s Moumouni Dagano, qualifying Cameroon in the process for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
This award brings to eleven the total number of African best player awards won by Cameroonian players. As already mentioned, Eto’o has won it four times; Milla Roger won it twice, Thomas Nkono, twice while Theophile Abega, Manga Onguene and Patrick Mboma have won it once each. Ghana come second with five trophies won.
Two delegations will leave Douala and Yaounde today for Ghana to support the erstwhile Pichichi receive his award which made him the most titled player.
