8th January, 2016
Taiwo Adelu
Gabon striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been crowned the new king of African football as he won the 2015 African footballer award at a gala in Abuja Thursday.
The 26-year-old Borrusia Dortmund of Germany star beat Ghanaian and Swansea City star Andre Ayew and Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure to the award.
Aubameyang was adjudged the best in African footballer after his outstanding performance for both his country and his club abroad in the year under review.
Andre Ayew of Ghana was adjudged the second best in Africa.
After winning the award for a record fifth time, Ivorian Yaya Toure of Manchester City of England was adjudged the third best player on the continent in the 2015 award.
African player of the year based in Africa was won by Mbwana Samatta.
Samatta is a Tanzanian footballer. He is playing for TP Mazembe in Linafoot as a striker. He is a member of Tanzania national football team, played at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification and scored two goals.
The Leader of the year award was won by Abdiqani Said Arab. He is the president of Somalia’s Football Federation.
Said Arab is also the vice president of Cecafa.
Platinum award was given to Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria.
The award was received on his behalf by Nigerian Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung.
Meanwhile, the duo of Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Etebo Oghenakaro received African honours Thursday at the 2015 Glo-CAF Awards gala in Abuja.
Osimhen won the Youth player of the year award, while Oghenakaro won the most promising talent award.
Osimhen was outstanding in the year under review after his exploits at the Chile 2015 FIFA World Cup where he not only won the gold medal of the competition, but also was adjudged the highest goal scorer of the tournament with his 10 goals.
Oghenakaro was also outstanding at the Senegal 2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations helping Nigeria to win the competition and securing one of the tickets for the country to play in the football event of Rio 2016 Olympics.
Other award winners of the night included Ivory Coast that won the national team of the year award. The Elephants were the winners of AFCON 2015.
The Women’s National Team of the Year award was won by the Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon. They qualified for their first ever FIFA Women World Cup held in Canada in 2015 and reached the round of 16 of the tournament.
Fair play award went to Allez Casa of Senegal, while Club of the year award was won by TP Mazembe after they won their record fifth CAF Champions League in 2015
The coach of the year award was given to Herve Renard of France, who won AFCON with two different countries. He won it with Ivory Coast in 2015 and Chipolopolo of Zambia in 2012.
Charles Kumi Gyamfi (Ghana) and Samuel Mbappe Leppe (Cameroon) were named African Legends, with Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia) winning the referee of the year.