Sports
CAF Award: Ighalo Wants To Dethrone Aubameyang
Nigeria and Watford striker Odion Ighalo has revealed that he’s aiming to topple the Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as CAF African Footballer of the Year.
The Super Eagle who was speaking in an interview said he would like to break the 19-year absence of Nigerians in the running for the African award.
Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigerian to win the honours, but several players have come close including John Obi Mikel who finished as runner up to Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure.
Despite winning the award for the past three years, Yaya, was beaten by the Gabonese skipper with the Elephants saying it was unfair for him to lose the award. He also lashed out at CAF as well as questioning the award criteria after the ceremony.
The Watford FC goal poacher was voted the EPL’s Player of the Month for December and he said hard work and teamwork were the key to his brilliant form.
“I must thank my teammates for their contribution to every goal I scored. I owe them a lot for the award,” said Ighalo.
“Most people do not see the hard work I put into my game, the feel I just show up and score goals.
“Aubameyang (Pierre-Emerick) showed up and won the award (APoTY) and I think I can do the same. It will require a lot of hard work but it is surely achievable.”
The next CAF Award for the African Player of the Year is set to be announced after the 2017 CAF African Cup of Nations in Gabon next year.
Go Round/SWAN Secondary Schools Athletices Championship’s mascot ‘duckie’ surrounded by dignitaries: R-L: SWAN President, Saidu Abubakar, Chairman of the occsion, Hon Austin Opara, unveiler, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka , sponsor, Bro Felix Obuah, S. A. to Governor Nyesom Wike, Hon Elemchukwu Ogbowu, after the official unveilingof the mascot by the Main Organising Committee (MOC) Port Harcourt. yesterday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.