Mahrez dethrones Aubameyang as GLO-CAF player of the year

RIYAD Mahrez has emerged the 2016 Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year.

At the awards ceremony held on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Mahrezan Algerian, beat the winner of the award in 2015, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mane to the title.

The Gabonese came second this term while Mane, a Senegalese, came third.

In the the Africa Footballer of the Year (based in Africa) category, goalkeeper Dennis Onyango, from Uganda, emerged the winner, edging Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe and Zambia’s Rainford Kalaba to the second and third place respectively.

Nigeria accounted for four awards on the night with the Super Falcons winning the Women’s National Team of the Year Award. The Nigerian female football team, last December, won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the eighth time, in Cameroon.

Kelechi Iheanacho returned to reclaim the Most Promising Talent Award he won for the first time in 2013. The Manchester City forward beat off opposition from Elia Meschak of Congo DR and Naby Leye Keita of Guinea to emerge the 2016 winner.

Alex Iwobi was adjudged the Youth Player of the Year. His opponents were Eric Ayiah of Ghana and Franck Yannick Kessie of Ivory Coast. However, both Iheanacho and Iwobi were not present to personally receive their plaudits.

In the Woman Player of the Year category, Asisat Oshoala emerged winner beating Elizabeth Addo of Ghana and Gabrielle Onguene of Cameroon to the title. It the second time the Arsenal Ladies FC of England player would win the award having triumphed for the first time in 2014.

However Nigeria missed the National Team of the Year Award. The Cranes of Uganda were the winners of this award, having qualified for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in 2016. It was the first time in 38 years that Uganda would make it to Africa’s largest football showcase. Nigeria’s Dream Team, bronze medallists at the 2016 Rio Olympics, had been listed for the award with the national teams of Senegal, Congo DR and Guinea Bissau.

Also, Florence Omagbemi, who guided Nigeria to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, lost the Coach of the Year Award to Pitso Mosimane of the Mamelodi Sundowns. Mosimane led the ‘Brazilians’ to the CAF Champions League title in 2016.

Mamelodi Sundowns carted home the Club of the Year award on the back of their CAF Champions League victory in 2016. And Bakary Papa Gassama emerged the Referee of the Year – his third in three consecutive year.

Photos: Wale Emosu