Shanghai Shenhua of China striker, Odion Jude Ighalo and Barcelona Femeni of Spain ace, Asisat Oshoala are the only Nigerians left on the roll call of players in the latest shortlist released by Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the continent’s star performers of the outgoing year, megasportsarena.com reports.
While Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi and Victor Osimhen had also previously been included in the first list from CAF last week, only Ighalo is now left in the running for the 2019 Africa Footballer of The Year award, while Oshoala will contest alone for the women’s prize, after Uchenna Kanu and Chiamaka Nnadozie were axed in Wednesday’s downgraded roster.
From CAF’s pruned list of players nominated for the best African player of the outgoing year, Africa Cup of Nations highest goals scorer, Ighalo is the only Nigerian left in the 10-man shortlist, while Oshoala is among five players competing for the women’s version of the award.
In her quest to get a record-equaling fourth feel of the title, after Perpetua Nkwocha first pulled off the feat, Oshoala, who previously won it in 2014, 2015 and 2017, will have to ward off Ajara Nchout of Cameroon and Valerenga, Tabitha Chawinga of Malawi and Jiangsu Suning, Gabrielle Onguene of Cameroon and CSKA Moscow as well as Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa and Beijing Phoenix, who is the reigning holder of the prestigious gong.
While Nigeria has only one player left in the top male and female categories, the country has two left standing in the race for best young player of the year, as Osimhen is still listed along with Villarreal of Spain winger, Samuel Chukwueze and three others.
In their bid to take after Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins, John Mikel Obi and Wilfred Onyinyen Ndidi as past winners of the youth award, Osimhen and Chukwueze will have to get the better of Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Borussia Dortmund of Germany, Krépin Diatta of Senegal and Club Brugge of Belgium, as well as Moussa Djenepo of Mali and Southampton of England.
Ironically, Super Eagles’ tactician, Gernot Rohr has, however, been left out of the updated men’s coach of the year award, but the country’s former female national team, Super Falcons’ handler, Thomas Dennerby is listed alongside four others for the CAF Women’s Coach of The Year.
