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Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan wins 2010 BBC award

Gyan misses a critical penalty at 2010 Word cup in South Africa
Gyan misses a critical penalty at 2010 Word cup in South Africa

Ghana and Sunderland star Asamoah Gyan has been crowned BBC African Footballer of the Year for 2010.

The Black Stars striker clinched the title with an overwhelming majority – receiving more than half of the vote.

He finished well ahead of fellow Ghanaian Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew, Ivorians Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon.

“I’m so happy, I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m so thankful to all the fans who voted for me.”

He added: “It was really hard to win this award, especially because of all the other players I was up against.

“So I’m so appreciative to all my fans in Africa – especially my family and fans in Ghana.”

Gyan had a memorable year internationally, leading Ghana to second place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, scoring three of the four goals that helped Ghana reach their first final in 18 years.

At the World Cup in South Africa, the 24-year-old grabbed the world’s attention as his three goals helped the Black Stars progress from the group and into the quarter-finals.

But he shot to prominence through unfortunate circumstances as his missed penalty against Uruguay with the last kick of the game denied Africa its first semi-final berth.

He then earned widespread praise and went some way to redeeming his error when recovered his composure to score in the shoot-out following a 1-1 draw.

World Cup Exit

Despite the disappointment of the World Cup exit, the finals boosted his career as he left French side Rennes to become Sunderland’s record signing at £13m.

“Asamoah has been a fantastic addition to the Sunderland squad,” said Sunderland coach Steve Bruce, who presented Gyan with the African Footballer of the Year trophy.

“As our record signing, he had a lot of expectation placed on his shoulders but he has embraced the club wholeheartedly and has settled in very well.

“He’s a strong, quick player and brings something different to the side.

“He has formed positive partnerships with other strikers and he’s a real bright spark around the place too – always smiling and happy.

“He has an infectious joy for football, and we are reaping the rewards of that.

“I’m thrilled for Asamoah that he has been awarded this honour, it is thoroughly deserved.”

The search for BBC African Footballer of the Year 2010 began on 15 November when fans were given a chance to choose their African football hero from a shortlist selected by experts from each of the continent’s 52 countries.

Public voting closed on 10 December 2010 – with votes cast online at bbc.com/africanfootball or via text messages.

(BBC)[ad#Adsense-200by90]

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Drogba, Eto’o and Gyan finalists for Africa’s player of the year

Fiifi Johnson

Strikers Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Asamoah Gyan have been named as finalists for Africa’s 2010 player of the year award.

Ivory Coast’s Drogba is a two-time winner and last claimed the honour in 2009. He won the English Premier League title with Chelsea last season, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 29 goals in 32 games.

Eto’o of Cameroon, Africa’s player of the year in 2003, 2004 and 2005, won an Italian league, cup and Champions League treble with Inter Milan in 2010. Gyan starred as Ghana advanced to the quarter-finals at the World Cup.

The winner will be decided by a vote of the coaches or technical directors of the 53 countries that make up the Confederation of African Football on Dec. 20.

(CBC)

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Thanks, but no thanks

Former France captain Marcel Desailly has withdrawn from the race to coach World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana.

Marcel DesaillyDesailly, who was born in the West African country, was part of a five-man shortlist drawn up by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the vacant post.

Ghana are looking for a successor to the Serbian Milovan Rajevac.

But the long drawn out global search process seems to have frustrated the ex-Chelsea defender Desailly, 42.

“I have formally withdrawn my interest to be the head coach of the Black Stars following my initial interest over three months ago,” the 1998 World Cup winner said.

“Since declaring my interest I have had to put all my personal and business obligations on hold waiting for the outcome of this opportunity, be it positive or negative.

“I have still not received any form of official communication with regards to my interest. I understand that it is the internal processes pertaining to the appointment.

“However, this lengthy time in which there has been no official communication has left me with no option but to re-engage myself with commitments which I had earlier set aside for the potential job.”

Desailly’s decision to pull out of the race leaves just three candidates for the job after Turkish coach Can Vanli was axed from the shortlist.

Serbian Goran Stevanovic, ex-Portugal boss Humberto Coelho and local coach Herbert Addo will now vie for the post.

Desailly was hoping his hugely impressive playing career and ties with the country could help him clinch the post.

He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, ended his playing career in 2006 after spells with Marseille, AC Milan and Chelsea.

Despite his impressive playing record, he has yet to try his hand at coaching.

Rajevac opted not to extend his contract in September, ending a two-year stint during which he steered Ghana to the final of the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the last eight of the World Cup in South Africa.

The GFA said it will announce an appointment before the end of the year

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Latest poll results

Who is your favorite for the African Football Player of the year?
Asamoah Gyan 58%
Didier Drogba 14%
Andre Ayew 11%
Samuel Eto’o 8%
Yaya Toure 3%
None of the above 6%

 

A. Djan has been dropped while M. Essien has been included in the FIFA World IX 2010. Does Essien deserve a place in the World IX?
Yes 25%
No

75%
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Gyan axed, Essien included

Gyan axed, Essien included

Nyarko Benso

The worldwide players’ union – FIFPro and FIFA have shockingly excluded Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan for the World XI 2010 but included his compatriot Michael Essien in the 55-man shortlist.

FIFPro and FIFA unveiled the list yesterday, with the winner to be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich on 10 January 2011. This comes even though Gyan was one of the most consistent and impressive performers for both club and country for this year.

Essien, who failed to play active part of the entire year because of injury, missing the African Cup of Nations and World Cup was named in the list.

The 50,000 professional footballers belonging to the players’ unions across the world that form FIFPro, received voting forms in a secret ballot to nominate their peers for inclusion in their World XI – choosing the best four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and goalkeeper of 2010.

World champions, Spain, lead the way with the most players in the shortlist with ten, followed by nine from Brazil, eight from Argentina, six from England, four from Germany, three each from the Netherlands and Italy, two from Portugal and one each from Uruguay, Wales, France, Bulgaria, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Spain’s Primera Division attracted the most nominees with 18, followed by England’s Premier League with 17 and Italy’s Serie A with 15. Four nominees came from Germany’s Bundesliga and one from France’s Ligue 1. The final FIFA/FIFPro World XI will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in the Zurich Kongresshaus on 10 January 2011.

During this televised gala, the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player of 2010 and the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2010 award will also be revealed. Meanwhile, the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football award will be presented for the first time, while the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year will be announced for the second year running. The FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the gala.

The 55-player shortlist in full: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus FC), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC), Julio Cesar (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands, Manchester United FC)

Defenders: Daniel Alves (Brazil, FC Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur), Michel Bastos (Brazil, Olympique Lyonnais), Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea FC), Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United FC), Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United FC), Philipp Lahm (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Lucio (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Maicon (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid C.F.), Alessandro Nesta (Italy, AC Milan), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid C.F.), Gerard Pique (Spain, FC Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain, FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Walter Samuel (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), John Terry (England, Chelsea FC), Thiago Silva (Brazil, AC Milan), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United FC), Javier Zanetti (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale)

Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea FC), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal FC), Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool FC), Andres Iniesta (Spain, FC Barcelona), Ricardo Kaka (Brazil, Real Madrid C.F.), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea FC), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, FC Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid C.F.), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands, F.C. Internazionale), Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Xavi (Spain, FC Barcelona)
Forwards: Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria, Manchester United FC), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea FC), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, F.C. Internazionale), Diego Forlán (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina, Real Madrid C.F.), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, AC Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona), Diego Milito (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, FC Bayern München), Ronaldinho (Brazil, AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid C.F.), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United FC), Carlos Tevez (Argentina, Manchester City FC), Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool FC), David Villa (Spain, FC Barcelona). Ghanasoccernet

Kofi Owusu Aduonum (The Ghanaian Chronicle)

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Is the West the Best?

If you follow African football, you would that West Africa has dominated the sports for a number of centuries.

The BBC Piers Edwards asked important question last week: Why has West Africa dominated African soccer for decades?

This is what he wrote in his introduction:

“The BBC shortlist for the 2010 African Footballer of the Year has underlined West Africa’s dominance of such awards – because around three-quarters of winners of both the BBC and Confederation of African Football (CAF) accolades hail from the region.

Great names stand out: Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Abedi Pele and Michael Essien (Ghana), Ivorian Didier Drogba, and Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) to name but a few.

Liberia’s George Weah, meanwhile, is the only African to be crowned FIFA World Player of the Year.

Weah also won the BBC award in 1995 and this year, another West African will join him – with Drogba and Eto’o joined on the shortlist by Yaya Toure, Asamoah Gyan and Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew.

And it’s not just a matter of a few talented individuals – look at the results and you will also see that West Africa’s footballing pre-eminence is unquestionable:

Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana are Africa’s only ever World Cup quarter-finalists; Nigeria and Cameroon are the continent’s sole winners of Olympic gold, while Nigeria and Ghana share six FIFA world titles at U17 and U20 level”

I would like us to debate question here on TalkAfrique. Please use the space below to provide why you think West Africa has such dominance in African soccer.

 

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Nigeria’s Adamu banned for three years

Nigeria's Amos Adamu
Banfo Agrey
Nigeria‘s Amos Adamu has been suspended from all footballing activity by Fifa’s Ethics Committee for three years and fined $10,000.
Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii was suspended for one year and fined $5,000 by the committee.
The move follows allegations that the pair asked for money in return for voting on World Cup hosting rights.
It means they will not be able to vote on which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.
Adamu released a statement protesting his innocence and vowing to fight the ruling.
“I am profoundly disappointed with the Ethics Committee’s findings and had honestly believed I would be exonerated of any charges by now,” he said.
“I am innocent of all the charges levelled against me by the Ethics Committee and I completely refute the decision they have made.
“I will be lodging a full appeal against it with immediate effect.”
Four former executive members – Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, Mali’s Amadu Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga and Botswana’s Ismael Bhamjee – all received sanctions from Fifa.
Bhamjee was banned for four years, Diakite and Fusimalohi for three and Aloulou for two and all four were fined $10,000.
But the committee dismissed accusations of collusion between Spain/Portugal and Qatar, who are bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
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