AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
Morocco football fans fault Mo Salah’s candidacy in African Footballer of the Year Award
According to Morocco World News, Egypt and Liverpool striker, Mohamed Salah does not merit to be shortlisted among the three players for African football’s most prized individual award.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday released its list of the three football players in contention for the African Player of the Year award.
The list feature Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen as the other two final candidates. But the third player, Salah, did not sit well with Moroccan football fans who faulted CAF for overlooking Yassine Bounou despite the player’s stellar performances for both Sevilla and the Moroccan national team over the past year.
Bounou gained worldwide attention and admiration after his brilliant performances for Morocco at the World Cup in Qatar last year, where he played a major role in the Moroccan Atlas Lions becoming the first Arab and African national team to ever reach the semifinals of the global tournament.
He collected three “Player of the Match” awards during Morocco’s historic and odds-defying World Cup journey in Qatar, highlighting the importance of his impressive saves for the Moroccan national team.
While the Moroccan goalkeeper now plays for Saudi club Al Hilal, he spent last season with Sevilla, where he was one of the Spanish club’s most reliable and outstanding performers.
Notably, he was consistently ranked as one of the best goalkeepers in the Spanish (and European) top flight, and won the Official UEFA Europa League Final Hakook Player of the Match for his match-winning performance against Roma in the Europa League final.
The recognition came after Bounou’s “decisive penalty saves” allowed Sevilla to beat Italian club As Roma the UEFA Europa League Final in Budapest.
Yet it seems the player’s impressive record in the 2022-2023 season is not enough for CAF to duly recognize him among the continent’s best performers for the past season.
Many have taken issue with CAF’s decision to overlook Bono’s World Cup heroics for Morocco and his title-winning performances for Sevilla, describing the situation as “unfair” and “unjust.”
“I just realized the African Ballon d’Or is for the most popular players of the year. If we were to consider the best, Bounou should logically be at the top, and Salah applauding from his couch,” one commenter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another one questioned CAF’s decision to overlook Bounou and instead keep Salah in the three-name shortlist, pointing out that the Egyptian player’s performances with both Liverpool in the Premier League and his national team do not deserve a major award at the expense of more deserving candidates.
“No Bounou among the top three finalists!!! What did Salah do last season!!! No World Cup, not qualified in the Champions League, not the top scorer!!! CAF, African football,” one X user added.
Another one sarcastically commented on Salah’s nomination, asking CAF: “Why was Mohammed Salah nominated? His only achievement is decorating a Christmas tree.”
Many reports have in fact criticized the Egyptian player’s performances in the past few seasons.
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton slammed the Egyptian player during a game between Liverpool and Everton in October.
Speaking to talkSport, Houghton described Salah’s performance as “poor.”
“I’ve got to be honest with you, what Mo has given Liverpool today, or what he’s not given Liverpool, I’ve not seen him play this bad in a long, long time,” said the former Liverpool player.
He added that Salah “looks so much off the pace of the game and his decision-making has been poor. He’s just forcing it at the moment and when you’re having a bad time you do that, you try a difficult ball rather than a simple one.”
Last year, sport-focused news outlet TeamTalk was among the outlets that criticized Salah for failing to not “hitting” the heights from previous seasons.
“But his and Liverpool’s start to the season has been disappointing. And some pundits have suggested that Salah has been asked to play wider this season,” the news outlet said.
The Daily Mail also zoomed into Liverpool’s poor season earlier this year, emphasizing that there have been doubts that the club’s struggles were linked with Mo Salah.
The news outlet suggested that this was due to “heartbreaks” with his national team, where he also failed to take his national team to World Cup 2022 after losing to Senegal in the World Cup qualifying play-off.
Sky News also reported last year on Salah’s poor performances, writing: “His productivity has certainly dipped. The occasion of his 200th Premier League appearance also marked his fifth game without a goal in the competition, the second such run this season. That happened only twice in the previous five campaigns combined.”
Iran’s conflict with the U.S. and Israel has led to sporting events being postponed in several countries, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs.
ATHLETES’ ARRIVALS AT PARALYMPIC GAMES DISRUPTED
The International Paralympic Committee said it is working to find solutions after several athletes were finding it difficult to travel to the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games due to travel disruptions in several Middle Eastern airports.
“The closure of airspace in the Middle East is impacting the arrival of some stakeholders… we are working diligently with Milano Cortina 2026 to find solutions for those affected,” the IPC said on Tuesday.
TENNIS IN UAE HALTED DUE TO SECURITY ALERT
The ATP Challenger event in Fujairah was cancelled due to safety concerns after a security alert abruptly halted play.
The ATP Tour later said a charter flight had been arranged , “fully funded by the ATP to assist with departures from the region at no cost to players”.
U.S. WITHDRAW FROM HOCKEY WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
The U.S. men’s hockey team withdrew from a hockey World Cup 2026 qualifier in Ismailia, Egypt, after an official advisory from the State Department urging all U.S. citizens to leave nations within or close to conflict zones.
The International Hockey Federation said the U.S. team had withdrawn with the body’s “full support” and the team departed Egypt earlier on Wednesday.
SOCCER MATCHES IN IRAN AND QATAR POSTPONED, SPAIN V ARGENTINA IN DOUBT
All sporting events in Iran have been cancelled until further notice, including the country’s top-flight Persian Gulf Pro League.
The Qatar Football Association indefinitely postponed all soccer matches in the country, putting in doubt a clash between Spain and Argentina set for Doha on March 27. The Bahraini FA also halted all domestic competitions.
ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHES POSTPONED
Round of 16 clashes featuring Middle Eastern clubs in the Asian Champions League Elite in the first two weeks of March have been postponed until further notice.
Next week’s quarter-final clashes in the Asian Champions League Two and the Asian Challenge League, featuring clubs from the region, are also postponed, the continental soccer body (AFC) said on Wednesday.
TENNIS PLAYERS MEDVEDEV, RUBLEV STUCK IN DUBAI
Russian players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, who participated in the Dubai Tennis Championships last week, were among players facing travel difficulties in reaching California for the Indian Wells Open.
The ATP Tour said on Wednesday that the vast majority of players who were in Dubai had successfully departed on selected flights.
WEC POSTPONES SEASON OPENER IN QATAR
The World Endurance Championship postponed its season-opening race scheduled for March 28 at the Lusail circuit in Qatar, until later this year.
“A new date for the Qatar 1812km during the second half of the campaign will be finalised and communicated in due course,” the WEC said in a statement.
MIDDLE EASTERN F1 RACES HANG IN THE BALANCE
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who heads the global motorsport governing body FIA, said safety will be their main concern when taking a decision on next month’s Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
“Safety and wellbeing will guide our decisions as we assess the forthcoming events scheduled there for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the FIA Formula One world championship,” he said on Monday.
SINDHU WITHDRAWS FROM BADMINTON’S ALL ENGLAND OPEN
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu withdrew from the All England Open after being stranded for days at Dubai airport. She returned to India on Tuesday.
“Back home in Bangalore and safe. The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I’m truly grateful to be back at my house,” Sindhu wrote on X.
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Three Super Eagles players have made the shortlist for this year’s AF Awards holding in Marrakesh, Morocco in December.
Expectedly, Ademola Lookman is listed among those for the elite award, the African Footballer of the Year. He is joined by Super Eagles’ captain, William Troost-Ekong. The revelation came from CAF through their X handle.
There are 10 players on the shortlist and in the next few days, that will be cut by half before the final three.
Listed in the elite category are Amine Gouiri of Algeria, Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire), Chancel Mbemba (Congo), Serhou Guiracy (Guinea), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Soufiane Rahimi (Morocco) and Rowen Williams (South Africa).
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award. He will contest the award with Morocco’s Yassine Bounou (now in Saudi Arabia), Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, and Senegal’s Djigui Diarra and Cameroon’s Andre Onana.
AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
Nigerian Breweries raise a toast to Osimhen, Oshoala, and Nnadozie on CAF Awards victories
Nigerian Breweries Plc, a long-standing pillar of support for Nigerian football, has expressed immense pride and joy in the nation’s historic achievements at the 2023 CAF Awards.
The victories of Super Eagles’ forward, Victor Osimhen, and Super Falcons’ duo of Asisat Oshoala, and Chiamaka Nnadozie, were celebrated by the Head of Marketing Communications at Nigerian Breweries, Sandra Amachree who stated, “It is incredibly pleasing to see Nigerian football being celebrated in such a positive light.
This feat serves as a powerful inspiration and bodes well for the upcoming 2024 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments for both men and women in Cote D’Ivoire and Morocco, respectively.”
Sandra Amachree further highlighted the significance of these awards, emphasizing their potential to inspire further investment in Nigerian football by Nigerian Breweries.
“This success is a testament to the dedication and talent of our players, and it encourages us to continue investing in initiatives that raise the bar for football in Nigeria,” she added.
Osimhen ended Nigeria’s 24-year wait; winning the coveted ‘African Footballer of the Year’ award.
The Napoli striker follows in the footsteps of Nigerian legends like Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Nwankwo Kanu, and Victor Ikpeba
For Oshoala, she continued her reign as the queen of African football by securing a record-extending sixth CAF Player of the Year (Women) award.
While Nnadozie’s impressive performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup was duly acknowledged as she was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year (Women) title.
The Super Falcons, consistently supported by Amstel Malta Ultra and Zagg Energy Drink with Malt, received their due recognition as they were crowned the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Nigerian Breweries, through some of its brands like 33 Export Lager, Star Lager, Life Continental Beer, Amstel Malta Ultra, and Zagg Energy Drink with Malt, has consistently demonstrated its unwavering support for Nigerian football since February 2018.
This commitment extends to both the men’s and women’s teams, as showcased by their continued backing of the Super Eagles and Super Falcons respectively.
Osimhen, a past recipient of the 33” Export Lager Man-of-the-Match Award, represents the ongoing commitment of 33 Export Lager and Life Continental Beer to the Super Eagles.
Similarly, the Super Falcons have enjoyed unparalleled support from Amstel Malta Ultra and Zagg Energy Drink with Malt, fostering a strong partnership between the brands and the women’s national team.
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