By Johnny Edward: Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad has explained why the categories for the African based best player and best referee were scrapped for this year’s edition of the Aiteo CAF Awards billed to hold in Ghana Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Ahmad told journalists during a media conference at the International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday that the body cancelled the award to avoid duplication.
Al Ahly and Nigeria’s Junior Ajayi was in the running for the award for African Player of the Year- based in Africa.
Other nominees were Achraf Bencharki of Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club, Ahmed Fathi of Egypt and Al Ahly, Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly), Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso and El Masry) and Ben Malango (DR Congo and TP Mazembe).
“One award will serve all the African players for the Aiteo CAF awards for 2017,” Ahmad revealed during the press conference.
“We don’t want to duplicate the award by making one bigger than the other.
“The Referees award was scrapped because CAF believes in the ethical awards could encourage corruption and manipulation in games.”
The CAF President also thanked Liverpool Football Club for allowing their forwards Mohammed Salah and Saido Mane to attend the award despite their English Premier League fixture congestion.
He also revealed that CAF will be integrating African legends to all CAF activities to ensure the former footballers give back after retirement.
Both Mane and Salah are in the running for the 2017 African Footballer of the Year award. Salah was voted the BBC African Footballer of the Year in December.
Riyad Mahrez of Algeria won the CAF player of the Year award in 2016.
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COMMENTS
Poor decision. These people running African football has no clue what they’re doing. The colonial mentality syndrome is affecting their decions making. How do you grow your own confederation, when you’re not rewarding players who plays there. They can have 2 awards, best African player should be awarded to player who played in the continent, and African foreign player who played outside the continent. Why we don’t value our own. The other from Cameroon ran the place aground. No visions. Their confederate is the least improved association. They’re just there to share money
Nice suggestion.
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I disagree with this decision by CAF! Why didn’t CAF scrap CHAN too? Isn’t dat tournament meant for players based in d continent alone? Is it not parallel to AFCON as well? Or what did Ahmad mean by “duplicate”?
I wonder ooo
Left for me I will scrap it too. Why the division? Do foreign players have two heads? The same football they play is what the foreign guys play. Africa based players can win the award pending on their performance. An Egyptian won this award while playing in Africa during when we had foreign players. Why didn’t anyone complain then. Nigerians and our mentality smh.