Borussia Dortmund of Germany forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang emerged the African Footballer of the Year for 2015 at the annual Confederation of African Football awards gala in Abuja on Thursday.
Aubameyang (143 points) beat Manchester City’s Ivorien midfielder Yaya Toure (136 points), as well as Ghana and Swansea City of England midfielder Andre Ayew (122 points) to second and third places, respectively, to claim the prestigious award for the first time.
The 26-year-old scored 27 goals in 27 appearances last season.
Dream Team VI play-maker Oghenekaro Etebo was voted Most Promising Talent, while U-17 starlet Victor Osimhen fended off competition from team-mate Kelechi Nwakali and Mali’s Adama Traore to win the award for Young Player of the Year.
Cameroon’s Gaelle Enganamouit was voted the continent’s best Female Player of the Year, while Cote d’Ivoire’s Herve Renard was voted Coach of the Year.
…Aubameyang rejects move to Arsenal, Man United
Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rejected English Premier League overtures as he celebrated winning the African player of the year award.
The Gabonese, who is the leading Bundesliga scorer this season, was reduced to tears after stopping Yaya Toure getting a fifth straight title on Thursday night.
“I am staying at Dortmund,” the 26-year-old Aubameyang, who has been linked with an $85 million move to Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, said after accepting the prize at the gala in Abuja.
“I am so happy. I am not someone who usually cries but it is quite an emotional moment.
“When you are standing alongside players like Yaya Toure or Andre Ayew, there is pride in winning such a trophy ahead of them because they are great players and I obviously admire them a lot.”
The first player from Gabon to win the title said he hopes to get a second award next year with his rich run of form.
“I will really have to work a lot. Obviously I think I have the skills and the talent to make it again next year but it will require lots of work and many sacrifices as well.”
Aubameyang, who has scored 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season, earned 143 points in a poll of African coaches, seven more than Manchester City’s Toure. Ghana and Swansea City striker Andre Ayew was third on 112 points.
“I am disappointed but that won’t take anything from anybody,” said Toure, the Ivory Coast captain. “I am sure Andre is also disappointed after what he did last year.
“This is not the time to complain. We will all go back and continue to work hard.”
Aubameyang dedicated his title to his country and Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba was among the first to congratulate him.
“His genius is a major asset for the Panthers in preparation for the next African Cup of Nations,” said Bongo. Gabon will host the next African championship in 2017.
“We have good players and a good national team in Gabon,” declared Aubameyang.
Frenchman Herve Renard, who led the Ivory Coast to the 2015 African Cup of Nations, was named Coach of the Year.
This was his second such award after the 47-year-old also led Zambia to upset favourites Ivory Coast to lift a first-ever Nations Cup trophy in 2012.
“You never win alone so I would like to congratulate my staff,” said Renard.
“I would like to congratulate the Ivory Coast Federation because they believed in me and I dedicate this trophy to all the people around the world from Ivory Coast because it was an amazing victory for us, after 23 years they were waiting for this trophy.”
Compatriot Bruno Metsu has also clinched two Coach of the Year Awards when he was in charge of Senegal in 2001 and 2002.
Ivory Coast were named Team of the Year.
Other award winners included Cameroon’s Gaell Enganamouit (Women’s Player of the Year), TP Mazembe (Club of the Year), Nigeria Under-23 midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo (Most Promising Talent) and Nigeria’s Under-17 star Victor Osimhen (Youth Player of the Year).
Charles Kumi Gyamfi (Ghana) and Samuel Mbappe Leppe (Cameroon) were recognised as African Legends.
…disappointed Toure missed historic fifth African Player Award
Ivory Coast captain and Manchester City star Yaya Toure has said he was disappointed after narrowly missing out on a record fifth straight CAF African Player of the Year Award.
The 32-year-old midfielder has previously bagged the prestigious individual accolade in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Given his form at Manchester City and that he led Ivory Coast to victory in the African Cup of Nations in 2015, he might easily have won a fifth award.
But free-scoring Gabon and Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tallied 143 points to upset Yaya in a vote done by coaches or technical directors of CAF member-nations.
“I am disappointed but that won’t take anything from anybody. I am sure Andre (Ayew) is also disappointed after what he did last year,” said the Elephants captain.
“This is not the time to complain. We will all go back and continue to work hard.”
Livewire striker Aubameyang had been strongly tipped to clinch this year’s prize after scoring 18 goals in 17 Bundesliga games and 27 in all competitions this season.
The 26-year-old Gabon skipper said he was delighted to win the award for the first time while praising the abundant talent in his native country.
“We have good players and a good national team in Gabon,” declared Aubameyang after he was named the best African player for the past year and dedicated it to his country.
Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o Fils has also won the award four times, while Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu, El Hadj Diouf of Senegal and Yaya’s compatriot Didier Drogba have scooped it twice each.
-Leadership/Vanguard
