Controversial words has not ceased to come out from people’s mouth since CAF award night ended. Here is an open letter to them from a concerned observer I wasn’t going to write an open letter to CAF, but was convinced to do so by dasagacious and the oga-at-the-top himself, so here goes.
Dear CAF,
First off, I would like to thank you for organizing your award in Nigeria…not like you’ve hosted in other countries save for those Glo is present in. It was nice that Africa was watching Nigeria once again in football.
That being said, with no time left for petty things, I would like to get down to the purpose of this letter, which is to address the embarrassing irregularities that has come to be associated with this organization and it’s award show.
The minute CAF released their list of top 3 contenders for the APOTY award, omitting a world class player like Enyeama who had done more than enough to put Africa on the World Map with his exploits in France, and replacing him with Drogba who was less than stellar in the year under review, I smelt a rat, and not just any rat, a big, dead, bush rat.
The wise ones amongst us knew already that you people had begun with your politics because by any standards set, Enyeama was outstanding in 2013, even more than any of those guys that made the top 3 and his exclusion can NEVER be justified. CAF themselves later proved that Drogba truly was far from a contender when they suspiciously omitted someone they considered worthy of Africa’s top 3 from their Africa’s best XI, and who made it? Enyeama and Emenike, Aubameyang and Pitroipa, same guys you kicked off for grandpa Drogba.
Moving on, let us once again examine this nursery school award show from the get-go. It is apparent that the chances of an Anglophone country, Nigeria especially, winning CAF APOTY is next to nothing since they are out-numbered by the Francophone countries. In fact, in the words of a certain online poster, “A Nigerian will have to end the year with at least 50 goals and 35 assists to win this award”. I couldn’t agree more, especially as the latest criteria for winning this award is individual brilliance.
Let me refresh the minds of Nigerians to the 1998 CAF awards, where JJ Okocha was a top contender along with Mohammed Hadji of Morocco. Having had nothing short of a spectacular year with PSG, and of course, his France ’98 World Cup heroics, Okocha was in fact a clear favorite to win this award. Much to the shock of Nigerians, Africans and indeed the world at large, Okocha lost this award to Hadji, who was awarded the title based on the fact that Egypt won the Burkina Faso ’98 AFCON.
Fast forward to 2003, another great year for Okocha, who once again, was in the running to win the much coveted APOTY title to add to his BBC APOTY award, won in that year. Again, all systems read ‘Okocha’, but on the day of the awards, Okocha was not just robbed of the award, but mugged and the award was given to none other than Eto’o. When asked why Okocha who had been spectacular in a Tunisian league didn’t win. ,the CAF executives after acknowledging the awesomeness that was Okocha in that year, gave the reason that “Okocha didn’t win any trophies in the year under review”…case closed.
Fast forward again to 2013, ten years later where you have the first Nigerian to have made top 3 in as many years, Mikel Obi, as a top contender along-side Cote d’Ivoire’s Yaya Toure. In the year under review- 2013, only a blind and deaf person would say Mikel Obi did not have the trophies to merit the award. Having bagged an AFCON gold medal, ending Yaya’s CIV’s hopes in the same tournament and an Europa League trophy with his club, Chelsea, Mikel, who was instrumental especially to Nigeria’s first AFCON title in 19 years, was in no doubt, the preferred candidate to win going by the criteria set in previous CAF awards, since Yaya didn’t even have an ‘Indomitables’ sticker to his name in 2013, despite his awesome goals.
Once again though, Nigeria was denied the award, this time, individual brilliance was considered ahead of trophies won. CAF has undoubtedly confused us all.
Which is it CAF? Individual brilliance or trophies won? Or do you just change the criterias depending on the year to favor your Francophone players?
Some people argued on your behalf, that it is the coaches and captains of all 53 nations football teams that vote, hence the credibility, I really can’t say since nobody has uploaded a Youtube video showing these people voting. In fact, the voting in CAF is done in a secretive manner, almost like the selection of the Pope of the Catholic church, so we really don’t know what happens behind closed doors.
If we are to believe that truly it’s the votes of coaches and captains that count, can you guys explain how Drogba lost the 2008 title to Kanoute, despite his awesome year? Because if we remember clearly, Drogba had refused to show up for the award in Togo and you, CAF threatened to make sure he didn’t win it as punishment- and truly, he didn’t. Only for you to compensate him the next year. Let me leave that one as is.
This letter is much longer than I intended for it to be, but as you realise, your countless fuq ups over the years warranted this. I will end with one question:
“What is the criteria for choosing the CAF African Player Of The Year?”
Sincerely,
Safari.
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