In Africa, two individual awards in football stands out across the continent. One is the CAF organized player of the year voted for by coaches and team captains just like parent body FIFA. The other and seemingly accepted generally is the BBC organized player of the year. Any one can vote in the BBC award.

CAF African Player of the Year

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the nominees for the 2013 African Player of the Year and the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa). Twenty-five (25) players made the cut for the flagship African Player of the Year category, and twenty-one (21) for the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa).

The winners will be announced at the Glo-CAF Awards Gala scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria. Ivorian Yaya Toure is the reigning African Player of the Year and Mohamed Aboutrika of Egypt for the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa).

African Player of the Year Nominees

Ahmed Musa, Asamoah Gyan, Dame N’Doye, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Emenike, Islam Slimani, John Mikel Obi, Jonathan Pitroipa, Kévin Constant, Kwadwo Asamoah, Luís Carlos Almada Soares – (Platini), Mehdi Benattia, Mohamed Aboutrika , Mohamed Salah , Nicolas Nkoulou, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça, Saladin Said, Seydou Keita, Sofiane Feghouli, Sunday Mba, Victor Wanyama, Vincent Enyeama, Yao Kouassi Gervais ‘Gervinho’, Yaya Toure

African Player of the Year – Based in Africa Nominees

Adane Girma, Ahmed Fathi, Alexis Yougouda Kada, Ali Machani, Bapidi Fils Jean Jules, Daine Marcelle-Klate, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Getaneh Kebede, Idrissa Kouyate, Iheb Msakni, Luyanda Lennox Bacela, Mbwana  Samatta, Moez Ben Cherifia, Mohamed Aboutrika, Rainford Kalaba, Senzo Meyiwa, Soumbeila Diakite, Sunday Mba, Tresor Mputu, Waleed Soliman, Yannick N’djeng

*The bolded names are Nigerians.*

BBC African Footballer of The Year Nominees.

The BBC have shortlisted 5 candidates for this year’s award. Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure has made the shortlist for the fifth consecutive year and is joined by Nigerians Victor Moses and John Mikel Obi, Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.

The winner will be decided by African football fans, who have until 18:00 GMT on 25 November to vote for their choice. You can either vote via this page or by sending an SMS from your phone to +44 7786 20 20 08:

  • Text 1 for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
  • Text 2 for Victor Moses
  • Text 3 for John Mikel Obi
  • Text 4 for Jonathan Pitroipa
  • Or Text 5 for Yaya Toure

Some say CAF of recent have favoured the Francophone African nations/players and BBC because it is British have always nominated and thus awarded English speaking players. Which ever you seem is correct and accurate, it is down to who votes.

For me, I see no reason Victor Moses didn’t make the 25 man shortlist on CAF and why Emmanuel Emenike couldn’t make BBC’s final 5. I don’t know if the 44 journalist forgot that Emmanuel Emenike has been a torn in opposition’s flesh and that Nigeria have performed woefully and with struggles without the power forward.

The Fenerbache forward was the top scorer in the AFCON 2013 and should have been the best player if he hadn’t missed the final game against Burkina Faso due to a thigh injury. The Super Eagles struggled in that game. He has scored 59 professional goals in 124 games. in 2013, he has been a key figure in the Nigerian Super Eagles set up. The Eagles fared badly at the Confederations Cup due to his absence. The strikers were misfiring and the fans could only miss the 26 year old power forward.

We can only wonder and ponder but the list is out. Do good to cast your votes on the BBC platform before deadline so it would count.

follow @soccergunz on twitter and like our facebook page