Gabonese forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, says he has all it takes to retain the Glo-CAF African Player of the Year Award next January.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Aubameyang shrugged off the challenge from Cote d’ Ivoire’s playmaker, Yaya Toure, and Ghana’s Andre Ayew to win the award’s 2015 edition.
The Gabonese picked 143 points, seven more than four-times winner, Toure, to win the coveted award, while Ayew finished a distant third with 112 points.
Aubameyang told newsmen that having won the award, it was clear that he would have to now re-double his efforts in the current football season to ensure he retained it.
He said: “It’s really a big achievement winning this title among contenders like Toure and Ayew.
“It’s quite a big achievement to win such a trophy because these are great players and I admire them.
“But I have all it takes to win it again and it will take extra hard work and I will start now to work to ensure I retain the award next year.
“It’s a big challenge, but I hope to win it again next year.
“I am so happy.
“I don’t usually cry, but it’s quite an emotional moment for me.”
Aubameyang had scored 24 goals in 22 matches in all competitions, with 18 of them for Borrusia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga.
The league goals included a hat-trick in the 5-1 defeat of Augsburg last October.
The Ivorien Toure, who is a Manchester City FC midfielder, scored 20 goals to help the English side win the 2014-2015 English Premier League title.
Ayew, who plays for Swansea City, scored six goals in 16 matches this season.
The awards saw Nigerian players Victor Osimhen and Etebo Oghenekaro winning the Youth Player of the Year and the Most Promising Talent of the Year honours respectively.
Herve Renard, who led the Chipolopolo of Zambia, to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, won the Coach of the Year Award.
This was after he led the Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire to win the 2015 AFCON.
President Muhammadu Buhari was awarded the Glo-CAF Platinum Award for “behind-the-scene” football achievers.
The awards, which had about 14 categories, also saw the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire emerge as the Glo-CAF male national team of the year.
Cameroon’s Lionesses picked the women’s national team of the year award.
TP Mazembe FC of DR Congo beat South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and USM FC of Algeria to win the club of the year award.
Tanzania and TP Mazembe’s striker, Mbwana Samantta, emerged as the best African player of the year based in Africa.
Gambian referee, Bakary Gassama, clinched the African referee of the year award, while the African legends award went to Charles Gyamfi of Ghana.
Gyamfi was the first coach to win the AFCON three times in 1963, 1965 and 1982.
It was, however, a disappointing night for Nigerian fans as none of their players were shortlisted in the Africa’s best eleven.
Azubuike Okechukwu, Kelechi Nwakali and Victor Osimhen only made the substitutes list for the African selected.
Issa Hayatou, the CAF President, who is also Acting FIFA President, said the individual and collective performances of the award winners were an indication of football development in the continent.
Hayatou said: “For example, in 2015, the four African teams that took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand crossed the first round hurdle.
“Two of them reached the semi-finals, with one making it to the podium, while one of them produced the best player of the tournament.
“The FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile was 100 per cent African, with all individual distinctions grabbed by Africans.”
Hayatou commended Globacom for renewing its partnership with CAF from 2015 to 2018, saying it was a worthy partner who knew the best football reward for excellence.
NAN.
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