Soccer fans on Friday expressed disappointment with the failure of Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder, Mikel Obi, to win the 2012/2013 Glo/CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
The fans said that they were confident before the ceremony that the 26-year-old Obi would win the award.
Ndubuisi Njoku, a businessman, said he was optimistic before the award that Obi was going to be named the best in Africa for the last season.
“I was very optimistic that Mikel would be crowned African Footballer of the Year by CAF, considering his performances for both Nigeria and Chelsea.
“But I felt disappointed when Yaya Toure of Cote D’Ivoire and Manchester City was announced the winner.
“Although I do not know the criteria used by CAF, in my innermost mind, I think Mikel deserved the award,’’ Njoku said.
Another fan, Idiongesit Effiong, a student, said he almost wept when he heard that Toure won the award.
Effiong said that although Toure could be better than Obi individually, within the period under review, Obi worked very hard to merit the award.
“Mikel won the Nations Cup with the Super Eagles where he put up superb performance throughout the tournament. He also won Europa Cup with Chelsea.
“He did not only feature prominently in the Confederations Cup but scored a fantastic goal against Uruguay and was adjudged 10th best player of the tournament. So, what else does CAF need?
“Toure is a good player any day anytime but his best was not enough to win anything; so to me I do not think he deserved the award,’’ Effiong said.
A sports journalist, Judex Okoro, said the whole issue of CAF award had been politicised.
Okoro said he did not understand the basis for the selection of Toure, adding that Obi deserved the award ahead of the other two nominees.
“I think they are politicising the award because I see no reason Toure should win it; it is an error of judgement,’’ Okoro said.
He said the situation would not augur well for the development of football on the continent.
According to him, politicising the award will not encourage younger players in Africa while it may render the award uninteresting to future nominees.
Meanwhile, a former Super Eagles’ midfielder, Friday Ekpo, on Friday, urged Mikel Obi to increase his scoring ability in the Super Eagles and Chelsea to enhance his profile.
Ekpo gave the advice in Lagos, while commenting on the failure of Obi to clinch the 2013 Glo/CAF Footballer of the Year Award.
Ekpo said that it was low scoring ability that denied Obi the award.
“Mikel is a very talented player, but I think he should try and work more on his scoring ability. The only difference between Mikel and Yaya is their scoring abilities.
“We know other midfielders that are scoring regularly for their clubs and countries. Mikel should not be an exception.
“I think that was the reason he lost the award to Yaya, and it was a very sad one for Nigeria,’’ he said.
Ekpo praised Coach Stephen Keshi and the Super Eagles for emerging as the best coach and best team on the continent, respectively.
Former international, Kanu Nwankwo, was the last Nigerian player to win the prestigious CAF Africa Football of the Year Award in 1999.
Two other Nigerians had earlier won the award.
They are Rashidi Yekini in 1993 and Emmanuel Amunike in 1994.
