By Mark Baber
January 9 – Mike Adenuga’s mobile phone operator, Globacom Limited, the second biggest telecom operator in Nigeria, signed a new deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sponsor the annual African Player of the Year Awards on Thursday on the eve of the 2014 awards ceremony.
Globacom has sponsored the awards since 2005 and CAF President, Alhaji Issa Hayatou, signed on behalf of the confederation, while Globacom’s Executive Director, Legal Services, Gladys Talabi, signed for the company.
Talabi, said: “Through these past ten years, we have consistently, brought great value to the profile, stature and rating of the Glo-CAF Awards which has now acquired the status of the Oscars of African Football. Today’s event will ensure that the symbiotic relationship which started about ten (10) years ago between CAF and Globacom is sustained for another four years. With this agreement, we wish to reiterate our commitment to further stimulate and inspire the growth of football in our treasured continent.”
“Our Chairman, the pillar of football in Africa, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr,” Talabi added, “has given firm assurances of our continuous robust support for the event in subsequent years with a promise to sustain and improve the Glo-CAF Award’s pedigree as an annual spectacle.”
For his part, Hayatou expressed appreciation for the efforts and contributions of Globacom to the development of football in Africa which has included the investment of over
$20m in rights fees and organisation of the award ceremony for the past ten years.
Following the signing, the 2014 awards ceremony proceeded with Nigeria’s senior women’s national team winning the best national women’s team award, despite the controversy over the banning of lesbians from playing football in Nigeria which has made it very difficult for the team to find sponsorship. His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President of Nigeria, also received a “Platinum Award.’
Algeria were awarded best national teams’ men, ahead of fellow nominees Libya and Nigeria, Super Falcons star, Asisat Osuola won awards for the youth player of the year and African women’s player of the year and Yaya Toure was named African player of the year for the fourth time.
Full list of winners:
African Player of the Year: Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast and Manchester City)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa: Firmin Mubele Ndombe (DR Congo and AS Vita)
Women’s Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and River Angels)
Youth Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and River Angels)
Most Promising Talent: Yacine Brahimi (Algeria and Porto)
Coach of the Year: Kheireddine Madoui (Entente Setif)
National Team of the Year: Algeria
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Club of the Year: Entente Setif (Algeria)
Referee of the Year: Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
Football Leader of the Year: Moise Katumbi – President of TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
African Legend award: Oryx Club (Cameroon) – winners of the maiden edition of CAF Champions League 1964 and Stade Malien (Mali) – runner up of the maiden edition of CAF Champion’s League 1964 Platinum Award: Dr Kwame Nkrumah (First President of Ghana) and His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan (President of Nigeria)
CAF team of 2014: Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) Defenders: Jean Kasulula (DR Congo), Mehdi Benatia (Morocco), Stephane Mbia (Cameroon), Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana) Midfielders: Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Yacine Brahimi (Algeria), Fakhreddine Ben Youssef (Tunisia), Ahmed Musa (Nigeria) Forwards: Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) Substitutes: Raïs M’Bolhi (Algeria), Firmin Mubele Ndombe (DR Congo), Ferdjani Sassi (Tunisia), Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Abdelrahman Fetori (Libya), Akram Djahnit (Algeria), Roger Assalé (Ivory Coast)
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