Candidates for 2014 African Player of the Year awards

The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) on Monday, 1 December 2014 announced the top five (5) for the 2014 African Player of the Year and the 2014 African Player of the Year (Based in Africa).

Five (5) players each have been shortlisted for the topmost Player of the Year and Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category. 

For the African Player of the Year, the shortlists are (alphabetical order)

Ahmed Musa
Date of Birth: 14 October 1992
Country: Nigeria
Club: CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Musa had a good year at both club and international level. After helping his club, CSKA to win the 2013/2014 Russian Premier League title, where he scored seven goals in 26 appearances; the 22-year took his fine form to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He scored twice as the Super Eagles reached the second round, both against Argentina. He has racked 360 minutes in  appearances for Nigeria in the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers with two goals to his credit so far.

Asamoah Gyan
Date of Birth: 22 November 1985
Country: Ghana
Club: Al Ain (United Arab Emirates)
Gyan maintained his consistency throughout the year with inspiring outputs for club and country. He was named top scorer of the UAE Pro League for the third time with 29 goals and also aided Al Ain to the last four of the AFC Champions League, where he
scooped the top scorer gong with 12 goals. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Gyan scored twice eclipsing the record previously held by Cameroon legend, Roger Milla, as the highest scoring African at the Mundial with six goals. The Ghana captain also managed
three goals in four appearances for the Black Stars in the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Date of Birth: 18 June 1989
Country: Gabon
Club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Aubameyang has been a key figure in the front line of Borussia Dortmund thanks to his goals. The 25-year old hit double figures for Dortmund to aid them to a second-place finish during 2013-2014 season. He was on target when his side beat Bayern Munich 2-0 to win the German Super Cup, the curtain raiser for the current season, enjoying global fame with his ‘spider-man’ goal celebration. The forward also has two goals to his credit which fuelled his side’s qualification to the knockout stage of the UEFA
champions League with two games to spare. At international level, he has been consistent for ‘Les Pantheres’ in the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers lasting the entire duration but for one game. Aubameyang has also scored two goals that keeps Gabon in
the hunt for a place at the final tournament.

Vincent Enyeama
Date of Birth: 29 August 1982
Country: Nigeria
Club: Lille (France)
Despite being a goalkeeper, he has always made his presence felt in games for both club and country. His performance in Lille saw him being named the best African player in the Ligue 1 for the 2013-2014 season. At the World Cup, he was arguably Nigeria’s
best performer thanks to some stunning saves in the four matches especially against Argentina and France. Enyeama has conceded twice in the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers lasting the entire duration in both games.

Yaya Toure
Date of Birth: 13 May 1983
Country: Cote d’Ivoire
Club: Manchester City (England)
Toure has been crowned African Player of the Year for the last three seasons. Yet his output has yet to witness any form of decline at both club and international level. The midfielder had a quiet World Cup by his own standard as the Elephants were bundled out at the first round. Prior to that, his 20 goals was crucial in helping Manchester City to win the Premier League title, an impressive record for a midfielder. Back from the World Cup, he has played every single minute of the Ivorians six games in the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers and has found the back of the net twice. The Ivorian captain is gradually rediscovering his feet in the EPL with a goal to his credit from 10 appearances.

For the African Player of the Year – Based in Africa

Akram Djahnit
Date of Birth: 3 April 1991
Country: Algeria
Club: ES Setif
Yet to represent Algeria at international level, Djahnit impressed so much as his side ES Setif defied all odds to win the 2014 CAF Champions League. The talented midfielder scored four goals for “Les Aigles Noirs” in the campaign, including an away goal in the final against AS Vita, which proved to be vital in the title decider.

El Hedi Belamieri
Date of Birth: 24 April 1991
Country: Algeria
Club: ES Setif
A regular in the ES Setif midfield, Belamieri scored four goals to play an important role in seeing his team capture the 2014 CAF Champions League title, for the first time in 26-years. His talent and vision kept him a starting role in almost all Setif games, and
was rewarded by a winners’ medal. He netted four goals in the campaign.

Fakreddine Ben Youssef
Date of Birth: 21 June 1991
Country: Tunisia
Club: CS Sfaxien
The tall young striker was a prominent figure as CS Sfaxien reached the semis of the 2014 CAF Champions League. Ben Youssef was also on target as CS Sfaxien lost 3-2 to Al-Ahly of Egypt in the CAF Super Sup. He also scored a vital winner for Carthage Eagles against Egypt in Cairo to guide Tunisia to top spot in their 2015 AFCON qualifications’ group.

Firmin Mubele Ndombe
Date of Birth: 17 April 1992
Country: DR Congo
Club: AS Vita
Ndombe had a stellar year guiding AS Vita to the final of the 2014 Orange CAF Champions League, where they lost on away goals to ES Setif of Algeria after a 3-3 tie. He scored a hat-trick as the Black Dolphins edged Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa 3-2 on
aggregate to reach the group phase for the first time. Ndombe was top scorer with six goals in the premier continental club championship, a record he shares with Mrisho Ngassa of Young Africans of Tanzania. Also, a regular with the DR Congo national team, he has played a key role in their campaign at the Orange AFCON 2015 qualifiers. Earlier, he was a member of the DR Congo squad that reached the quarters of the Orange CHAN 2014.

Senzo Robert Meyiwa
Date of Birth: 24 September 1987 [Died: 26 October 2014]
Country: South Africa
Club: Orlando Pirates
At the time of his tragic death on 26 October following a fatal shooting in Johannesburg, Meyiwa had over four Bafana Bafana caps to his name, a statistic that belied the full summary of his talents and standing as one of the best in the PSL and Africa. Key to Orlando Pirates run to the CAF Champions League final of 2013, Meyiwa carried his club heroics to a revitalized Bafana Bafana where he conceded no goal as he captained South Africa to a fine start in the national team’s impressive start to their crusade for AFCON 2015.

Source: CAFOnline.com