After waiting for seven years, Super Eagles and Chelsea FC of England midfielder, John Obi Mikel, finally scored his first English Premier League goal against Fulham on Saturday, making him a strong contender for the Glo/CAF African Footballer Of The Year Award billed for Lagos next year.
Soccer loving Nigerians celebrated the goal with frenzy, with some calling jokingly on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare seven days holiday to mark the end of Mikel’s goal drought. It may sound amazing but that was the wish of Nigerian football fans.

Football pundits in Nigeria are of the view that Mikel should be rewarded with the 2013 edition of the Glo/CAF African Footballer of The Year Award by the Confederation of African Football, CAF, judging by his recent performances.

With a 2013 African Cup of Nations medal, the UEFA Champions League and EUROPA League medals to his credit, some believe that it is time Mikel was crowned the best player in Africa.
Since Stephen Keshi was named as coach of the Super Eagles, Mikel has been a regular, with his sterling performance on the field as an added advantage for him if CAF wants to look in that direction in giving him the award. Mikel’s five star performances at the Nations Cup was pivotal to ending Nigeria’s 19 years wait before winning the AFCON tourney in South Africa early in the year.

The Super Eagles had an abysmal performance at the 2013 Confederations Cup held in Brazil but Mikel, the former Lyn Oslo of Norway player, was on the scorer’s sheet in the 6-1 bashing of little known Tahiti.

There are three other players standing in Mikel’s way for the award and they are his compatriots, Emmanuel Emenike of Fenerbahce of Turkey, Victor Moses, who is on loan to Liverpool from Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire’s Yaya Toure.

Yaya’s country were strong favourites to defeat Nigeria and go ahead to lift the Nations Cup this year, but Mikel’s input in the semifinal clash went a long way in ensuring that Nigeria did not only deny Cote d’Ivoire a final berth but went ahead to lift the trophy.

Cote d’Ivoire failed to live up to their favourites’ tag at the Nations Cup but Yaya’s contribution to his club, Manchester City, cannot be quantified. The edge Yaya has over Mikel is his goal scoring prowess. In the 2012/13 season Yaya scored a total of six goals as against Mikel’s zero.

Emenike on his part would be drawing his strength from his performance at the 2013 Nations Cup, where he won the Highest Goal Scorer Award, but his achievement at his former club, Spartak Moscow, cannot fetch him the needed points to deny Mikel of the award.

While Moses was not a regular for Chelsea last season, he played a formidable role in Nigeria’s emergence as the reigning African champions.

Since Mikel posted an outstanding showing to ensure Toure’s team were ousted from the Nations Cup, it makes it a lot easier for the Nigerian to grab the CAF award.

Owo Lee: After waiting for seven years, Super Eagles and Chelsea FC of England midfielder, John Obi Mikel, finally scored his first English Premier League goal against Fulham on Saturday, making him a strong contender for the Glo/CAF African Footballer Of The Year Award billed for Lagos next year.
Soccer loving Nigerians celebrated the goal with frenzy, with some calling jokingly on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare seven days holiday to mark the end of Mikel’s goal drought. It may sound amazing but that was the wish of Nigerian football fans.
Football pundits in Nigeria are of the view that Mikel should be rewarded with the 2013 edition of the Glo/CAF African Footballer of The Year Award by the Confederation of African Football, CAF, judging by his recent performances. With a 2013 African Cup of Nations medal, the UEFA Champions League and EUROPA League medals to his credit, some believe that it is time Mikel was crowned the best player in Africa.
Since Stephen Keshi was named as coach of the Super Eagles, Mikel has been a regular, with his sterling performance on the field as an added advantage for him if CAF wants to look in that direction in giving him the award. Mikel’s five star performances at the Nations Cup was pivotal to ending Nigeria’s 19 years wait before winning the AFCON tourney in South Africa early in the year.
The Super Eagles had an abysmal performance at the 2013 Confederations Cup held in Brazil but Mikel, the former Lyn Oslo of Norway player, was on the scorer’s sheet in the 6-1 bashing of little known Tahiti.
There are three other players standing in Mikel’s way for the award and they are his compatriots, Emmanuel Emenike of Fenerbahce of Turkey, Victor Moses, who is on loan to Liverpool from Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire’s Yaya Toure.
Yaya’s country were strong favourites to defeat Nigeria and go ahead to lift the Nations Cup this year, but Mikel’s input in the semifinal clash went a long way in ensuring that Nigeria did not only deny Cote d’Ivoire a final berth but went ahead to lift the trophy.
Cote d’Ivoire failed to live up to their favourites’ tag at the Nations Cup but Yaya’s contribution to his club, Manchester City, cannot be quantified. The edge Yaya has over Mikel is his goal scoring prowess. In the 2012/13 season Yaya scored a total of six goals as against Mikel’s zero.
Emenike on his part would be drawing his strength from his performance at the 2013 Nations Cup, where he won the Highest Goal Scorer Award, but his achievement at his former club, Spartak Moscow, cannot fetch him the needed points to deny Mikel of the award.
While Moses was not a regular for Chelsea last season, he played a formidable role in Nigeria’s emergence as the reigning African champions.
Since Mikel posted an outstanding showing to ensure Toure’s team were ousted from the Nations Cup, it makes it a lot easier for the Nigerian to grab the CAF award.

YES

Nomination, ‎​yes but yaya toure is the better player

Maybe .... He has worked really hard this year.

he should keep improving , but i must be sincere , yaya Toure is in a super form ....Mike's success lies in his hands.

He still need to work hard, but considering his achievement as a whole with club(chelsea) trophy nd super eagles nations cup victory, he deserves it!

Absolutely...4 assists. Best midfielder and my player of d AFCON tournament... He outshone Mr yaya in midfield wen NIAJA beat them...so witout any question, yea he deserves it...

Yaya Toure is head and shoulders better than Mikel...

Remember Toure carries his team, Mikel is just a passenger in the team

omar22: Yaya Toure is head and shoulders better than Mikel...

Remember Toure carries his team, Mikel is just a passenger in the team

Mikel a passenger in the team, has carried champions league, FA cup, premiership etc
In the super eagles team also, he played vital role in winning of the nations cup...is dat not enough...

mediocre candidate for African footballer of the year these days

I think Mikel should win the african best player! But I know that Yaya is better than him!
let us use the European best player as an example - there is no how you'll compare Ribery with Messi or Cr7! They are like one million times better than him! But because he shone with Bayern, that's why he got the best player! But even if you ask him, he'll tell you that messi is better than him!!
So Mikel should win also!

yaya toure should win it

No..The award should go to a player that has represented Africa internationally and locally and for me that player is Yaya Toure.

supported. FTC

You people should understand the the playing position of the two players are not the same. While Yaya is playing as a defensive midfielder,Mikel has been constantly resigned to the defensive midfield(as against the attacking midfield which is his natural position) and that has continually hamper him from him from proving his best.


Mikel shouldn't even be a contender! He should be given the award directly! But with the sterling performance of Yaya Toure,it's gonna be a little difficult. But I suggest both of them share the award for this year(i.e,if two different players can be allowed to share the award at the same time).

Mikel definately deserves it...
Very tough decision tho'

Considering the position he plays and the style chelsea plays. YES!!
You can't blame him for not scoring much

Yes.

MIKEL noni

una dey craze? coz he scored one goal for Chelsea in 7yrs, you think we should consider him for Africa footballer of the year. when Yaya dey there

He deserve It 100% Judging by his performance in d nations cup n confed. Cup.
Imagine how he outshine xavi n iniesta ag8 Spain. He also outshine cavani n suarez wen we played uruguay.
He is the holding midfielder in caf best evelen for dis year.
If dem no give am na ojoro.

Mikel is not yet good for such a title he is still a little 2 rusty in playin....furst page finz HALLELUYAH

yaya toure is better dan mikel or wats is name again

BabaAlabi: No..The award should go to a player that has represented Africa internationally and locally and for me that player is Yaya Toure.

ode! Were mikel g dey play? Na sunshine fc? U dey talk abt localy n internationaly

Is this because of one goal......

The useless CAF don't use AFCON as a perimeter in reaching who is to be crowned but instead depend on their club performance and not even the player's performance.That says a lot why Jay jay Okocha my bro never won the coveted award

Cant believe what some guyz re postin here. Mikel was 4 times named man of the match in the nations cup including the final, he was outstanding in Confed cup, what does yaya toure have to show, he did nt do anything in the league, went out early in the nations cup,just scored 3 goals dis season, ronaldo scored more than 40 goals bt becos bayern won the champions league he was given the best player.abeg mikel has won it jare.

Cele-pope:
The useless CAF don't use AFCON as a perimeter in reaching who is to be crowned but instead depend on their club performance and not even the player's performance.That says a lot why Jay jay Okocha my bro never won the coveted award

spot on jare. Mikel is in a beta club dan yaya toure.

Yes, I believe so.

Although I believe he should have more playing time. It doesn't speak well that Africa's best player will not be a first team player in a club like Chelsea.

Of curse