Despite a semi final placing in the African Nations Cup, despite a world cup qualification, there was nothing to write about the year with due respect to the girls.
Monday evening, at the impressive and expansive Intercontinental Hotel, City Stars in Cairo, hope was rekindled as Nigeria featured prominently in the awards.
When the Master of Ceremony, South Africa’s Mark Gleeson started reeling out the names of African countries who had done the continent proud overtime, and were due for a special CAF President Award, he started with Algeria and by the time he got to Cote D’Ivoire after mentioning Cameroun, Globacom’s Modele Sharafa_Yusuf got worried that Nigeria was no more in the scheme of things.
Not to worry, it was an alphabetical consideration. Then came Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, then South Africa that drew a thunderous applause for hosting, on behalf of Africa, FIFA’s best World Cup ever.
There was also an instance to be proud being a Nigerian and that was during nominations for Woman Footballer of the Year.
Three Nigerian players, Stella Mbachu, Perpetua Nkwocha and Ebere Orji were the nominees and predictably Perpetua emerged winner and she majestically trotted on to the stage to collect her award from President of Nigeria’s
Supporter’s club Dr. Rauf Ladipo resplendent in his Green_white_ green attire complete with a cap with Nigeria boldly inscribed on it.
That was not all. Nigeria also had an opportunity to come early on to the stage when the award for best Women National team was announced. In contention were the Falcons, Equitorial Guinea and Nigeria’s U_20 team. The Falcons won ( Surprise?) and President Maigari was on stage to receive the award.
When it was time to choose Africa’s eleven for the year 2010, those of us present were unanimous that Vincent Enyeama was going to man the posts. We could not think of any other Nigerian that had done enough in the year under review to merit a place in that team. We were proved wrong as Taiye Taiwo made the starting line up.
Others in that classical consideration were Didier Drogba, Eto’o, Gyan, Pele Ayew, Gomaa, Bougera, Kevin Boateng, Hassan Ahmed and Ahmed Mouhamady.
Perhaps the keenest of challenges came during the National Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
The debate was simple. Which was greater, winning the African Cup of Nations, or qualifying for the quarter final of the World Cup. The World Cup triumphed as Ghanaian coach Milovan Rajevac was crowned coach of the year ( Also led Ghana to the semi final of the Nation’s Cup ) and Ghana emerged National Team of the Year.
Rajevac who was embroiled in a storm with the Ghanaian Football Federation was gracious enough to go straight and present the award to the Ghanaian FA President with an embrace, just as he also hugged Egypt’s coach Hassan Shehata in a rare show of sportsmanship.
There was no denying Egypt the glory of Hassan Ahmed being crowned Best Player evolving in the African continent just as Ghana capped a glorious year with the emergence of Kwado Asamoah of Udinese as the most promising talent in the year 2010.
When it was the turn of Club of the year, C.S Sfaxien and F.U.S.Rabat knew they had no chance as T.P.Mazembe, General Manager Eddie in his noir et blanc ( Black and white ) attire received the trophy to great acclaim.
Then came the big one. Africa footballer of the year. Favourite, Cameroun’s Etoo’o crossed over from Abu Dhabi where he had helped Inter Milan to demolish T.P.Mazembe, yet the presence of Asamoah Gyan and Ghana’s impressive run in the World Cup raised doubts and heightened expectations.
Two of them were called onto the stage and at the end of the day, the Camerounian, deservedly triumphed, becoming the first African player ever to win four African footballer of the year crowns, a record that will take some beating.
In his speech, CAF President Issa Hayatou said he was delighted to once again preside over an event that marks the end of a successful football calendar. He cited the remarkable achievements recorded in the year, including Nigeria’s women U_20 World Cup feat, T.P.Mazembe in the FIFA World Club Cup and of course the World Cup that was gloriously hosted by South Africa.
Perhaps the sweetest speech of all should be credited to the Globacom Chairman Mike Adenuga Junior, who in a video presentation of less than two minutes, extolled the strides of African football, his company’s determination to further those strides as evident in the renewal of sponsorship of the award for another five years .
The curtain was drawn on the simple but impressive ceremony, the five course meal had also come to an end. As Africa’s football and business lords strode out of the hall they could not fail but notice the brightly lit giant Enyeama poster that adorned the entrance of the hall.
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment