ACTUALITE |
30.12.2002
Africa`s top three to be named
El Hadji Diouf will know on Tuesday whether he has gone one step closer to becoming Caf African Footballer of the Year for the second season running.
The 22 nominations for the award will be pared down to just three, and Caf will announce in Cairo who has survived the cut.
Senegal striker Diouf is hot favourite not only to survive but to go on and take the title, which would see him becoming only the second player ever to win it two years in a row.
Ghana`s Abedi Pele previously achieved that feat in 1991 and 1992.
But who will join Diouf in the final three remains a wide-open contest.
The Senegalese have the lion`s share of the nominations after their incredible performance in the last World Cup.
Diouf`s team-mate at Liverpool Salif Diao, and Pape Bouba Diop, who was recently named the best player in Senegal should not be underestimated too.
Another French based Senegalese, Khalilou Fadiga, is also in the running, as is attacker Henri Camara.
Two Nigerians have been nominated: goalscorer Julius Aghahowa, and rising star John Utaka.
Nevertheless, the real threat for Diouf is the rebellious Egyptian star, Ahmed Hossam "Mido".
The 19-year old Pharaoh has the best record this season, leading his Dutch club, Ajax, to the double and the super cup and has become one of the hottest names on the European market.
Other contenders include the new wonder boy from Zimbabwe, Benjamin Mwaruwari, and Sierra Leone`s Paul Kpaka.
Following Monday`s announcement, members of Caf`s technical and press committees will be asked to vote on the award, which will be given out in a ceremony expected to be held in Johannesburg on 31 March.
Caf`s list of nominees for Best African Player of the year 2002 (to be reduced to three on Monday):
Burkina Faso: Moumouni Dagano (Genk, Belgium)
Cameroon: Geremi (Middlesbrough, England), Lauren (Arsenal, England) Samuel Eto`o (Real Mallorca, Spanish)
DR Congo: Lomana Lua Lua (Newcastle, England)
Egypt: Ahmed "Mido" (Ajax, Holland), Ahmed Hassan (Genclerbiligi, Turkey)
Mali: Seydou Keita (Lens, France)
Nigeria: Julius Aghahowa (Shakhtar, Ukraine), John Utaka (Lens, France)
Senegal: El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool, England), Salif Diao (Liverpool, England), Pape Bouba Diop (Lens, France), Khalilou Fadiga (Auxerre, France), Henri Camara (Sedan, France)
Ghana: Ibrahim Abdulrazak (Saint Etienne, France)
Sierra Leone: Paul Kpaka (Germinal, Belgium)
South Africa: Sibusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Benni McCarthy (Celta Vigo, Spain)
Tunisia: Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax, Holland), Selim Ben Achour (PSG, France)
Zimbabwe: Benjamin Mwaruwari (Auxerre, France)
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
|
|
|
|
| |