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CAF Awards return to Morocco to celebrate Africa’s finest on 11 December

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The hub of African football, Morocco, will again host the CAF Awards which celebrate the stars of African football. Last year’s edition was hosted in Rabat, the green city and capital of Morocco.

This year’s edition is scheduled for 11 December in the same country that boast of basically, the best sporting facility and organisation. With the country having splendid facilities spread across the kingdom, no particular one has been chosen as CAF informed that it will communicate the Moroccan host city in due course.

Last year, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Senegal’s Sadio Madio were the stars, winning the top tier awards. While Oshoala may still be in contention for the Woman’s African Footballer of the Year, following her success with FC Barcelona this year.

Similarly, an obvious choice for Africa’s top crown is Nigeria’s in-form striker, Victor Osimhen who has almost become a global phenomenum and a much sort ‘commodity’ by top football clubs.

He is in vantage position to become Nigeria’s first African Footballer of the Year in 33 years. The last Nigerian to win the award is Nwankwo Kanu in 1999. He was given the award by the then CAF President, Issa Hayatou just before the kick-off of the Nigeria-Tunisia match at the 2000 Africa Nations Cup.

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This year’s awards holding in a yet to be named Moroccan city will recognise the standout performers from club and country over the past year, with the highlight being the crowning of the CAF African Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s category.

Mane and Oshoala will face stiff competition from some of continent’s brightest stars who have shone in the last 12 months.

Previous winners of the men category include Ivorian Yaya Tourer (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), Samuel Eto’o (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010), Didier Drogba (2006 and 2009), Mohammed Salah (2017, 2018), Riyad Mahrez (2016), Nwankwo Kanu  (1996 and1999), Abedi Pele (1992) and the great George Weah (1995) amongst some of the colourful previous winners.

In the women’s category, while Oshoala has dominated the category in recent years winning in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022 – she still faces competition from previous winners including Thembi Kgatlana (2018) who are still active. This category counts amongst its previous winners former Super Eagle’s Perpetua Nkwocha (2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011).

Several more honours will also be at stake, including the Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year and Goal of the Year.

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The Interclubs Women’s Player of the Year award, which was introduced last year after the successful launch of the CAF Women’s Champions League, will continue this year.

The period under review for the CAF Awards 2023 spans from September 2022 until June 2023, encompassing an extraordinary chapter in African football history.

 

CAF African Player of the Year previous winners : (men)

Year Winner
2022 Sadio Mane
2019 Sadio Mane
2018 Mohamed Salah
2017 Mohamed Salah
2016 Riyad Mahrez
2015 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
2014 Yaya Toure
2013 Yaya Toure
2012 Yaya Toure
2011 Yaya Toure
2010 Samuel Eto’o
2009 Didier Drogba
2008 Emmanuel Adebayor
2007 Frederic Kanoute
2006 Didier Drogba
2005 Samuel Eto’o
2004 Samuel Eto’o
2003 Samuel Eto’o
2002 El Hadji Diouf
2001 El Hadji Diouf
2000 Patrick M’Boma
1999 Nwankwo Kanu
1998 Mustapha Hadji
1997 Victor Ikpeba
1996 Nwankwo Kanu
1995 George Weah
1994
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1993

Emmanuel Amuneke

Rahidi  Yekini

1992 Abedi Pele

 

 

CAF African Player of the Year previous winners : (women)

Year Winner
2022 Asisat Oshoala
2019 Asisat Oshoala
2018 Thembi Kgatlana
2017 Asisat Oshoala
2016 Asisat Oshoala
2015 Gaelle Enganamouit
2014 Asisat Oshoala
2013 (Not awarded)
2012 Genoveva Anonma
2011 Perpetua Nkwocha
2010 Perpetua Nkwocha
2009 (Not awarded)
2008 Noko Matlou
2007 Cynthia Uwak
2006 Cynthia Uwak
2005 Perpetua Nkwocha
2004 Perpetua Nkwocha
2003 Adjoa Bayor
2002 Alberta Sackey
2001 Mercy Akide

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

International Football

Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health

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Brasileiro Championship - Gremio v Flamengo - Arena do Gremio, Porto Alegre, Brazil - September 22, 2024 Flamengo coach Tite REUTERS/Diego Vara/File Photo

Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.

The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.

“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.

“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.

“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”

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Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.

-Reuters

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Brazil sack coach Dorival after humiliating loss to Argentina

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World Cup - South American Qualifiers - Argentina v Brazil - Estadio Mas Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 25, 2025 Brazil coach Dorival Junior is seen before the match REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo

Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.

The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.

“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.

“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.

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Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.

However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.

Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.

Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.

But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.

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Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.

Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.

Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.

Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.

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Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.

Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.

Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.

They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.

-Reuters

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England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game

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England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.

Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.

“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.

Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.

However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.

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“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.

-Reuters

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