Iheanacho, Mikel, Musa make CAF award list

Super Eagles players Kelechi Iheanacho, John Obi Mikel and
Ahmed Musa made the 30-man list of players nominated by
the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the African
Footballer of the Year 2016.
The last time a Nigerian player won the award was
in 1999
when Nwankwo Kanu was crowned. The closest in modern
times was in 2013 when Mikel was named second best to
Yaya Toure. In 2014 Vincent Enyeama was third behind current
player of the year awardee Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang who
was also nominated.

This is Iheanacho’s first-ever nomination for the continent’s
top individual accolade after he enjoyed a breakthrough
season with Manchester City in the English Premier League.
The 20-year-old striker has also established himself at full
international level after he represented Nigeria at U-17 and
U-20 levels.

Chelsea midfielder Mikel inspired Nigeria to win bronze at the
recent Rio Olympics, while Ahmed Musa has shone at Russian
champions CSKA Moscow before his big-money move to
Leicester City.
Aubameyang will face a lot of competition, especially from the
English Premier League, with the likes of Leicester’s Riyad
Mahrez, West Ham’s Andrew Ayew, and rising Man City ace
Iheanacho.
Mahrez would have been a clear winner for this award after his
brilliant, Premier League-winning season in 2015/16 in which
he was named PFA Player of the Year. However, his – and his
team’s – abysmal start to the campaign may threaten his
odds.


The Nominees
1. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City) 2. El Arabi Hillel
Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb) 3. Islam Slimani (Algeria &
Leicester City) 4. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor) 5.
Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient) 6. Serge Aurier
(Cote d’Ivoire & PSG) 7. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire &
Manchester City) 8. Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote
d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune) 9. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma)
10. Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal) 11. Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund) 12. Andre Ayew (Ghana &
West Ham) 13. Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham) 14.
William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club) 15. Mehdi
Benatia (Morocco & Juventus) 16. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco &
Ajax) 17. John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea) 18. Kelechi
Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City) 19. Ahmed Musa
(Nigeria & Leicester City) 20. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo &
Villareal) 21. Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton) 22. Sadio
Mane (Senegal & Liverpool) 23. Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal &
Napoli) 24. Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
25. Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs) 26.
Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk) 27. Aymen Abdennour
Tunisia & Valencia) 28. Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland)
29. Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns) 30.
Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)