Moses, Troost-Ekong make CAF award list

CAF on Wednesday published its list of nominees  for the for the 2017 African Player of the Year award with three Nigerians named.
Super Eagles duo Victor Moses and William Troost-Ekong made the 30-man elite list (dominated by players plying their trade outside Africa) while Junior Ajayi, who plies his trade in Egypt with  Al Ahly,  was included  in the  second-tier category of the African Player of the Year-based in Africa.
According to CAF, the winner of the top award will be decided by votes from the head coaches/technical directors of the national associations affiliated to  the federation, members of the  Technical and Development Committee and a panel of media experts.
The award ceremony   will be  held in Accra, Ghana, on January 4, 2018.
Other  notable players on the elite list are Gabon  and Borussia Dortmund’s  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Senegal and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane  and  Egypt and Liverpool  defender   Mohamed Salah, who made it to the last four in last year’s award won by Algeria’s  Riyad Mahrez.
However, Mahrez, who was a top performer in the Leicester City  team that pulled off one of the biggest underdog victories in football history by winning the 2015/16 English Premier League title, was ignored by CAF.
China-based attacker  Christian Bassogog, who helped Cameroon win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations  in Gabon,  is also on the list alongside Manchester United defender Eric Bailly,   in-demand RB Leipzig  midfielder Naby Keita,  Nice midfielder Jean Michel Seri and Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary.
Moses is one of the favourites for the continent’s biggest award  after helping  Chelsea  win  the Premier League  title last season.
The 26-year-old Chelsea wing-back, who is currently  sidelined by injury, scored three goals to help Nigeria qualify for  the Russia 2018 World Cup.
Turkey-based defender Troost-Ekong  expressed his delight at his nomination for the award along with  Moses.
“Honoured to be nominated for African Player of the Year. Representing Nigeria together with Victor Moses,” the  Bursaspor  player  wrote on his  Twitter  account  on Wednesday.
The late Rashidi Yekini  was the first Nigerian to win the award in 1993. Emmanuel Amuneke won the 1994 title while Nwankwo Kanu won it in 1996. Victor ikpeba won the crown in 1997 while Kanu landed the title in 1999, which was the last time a Nigerian grabbed the gong.
|Punch