I've always said the world hates Nigeria, did they not see Chrisantus Macaulay?

How come there are no local players nominated? Only players playing in Europe seem to get the award, or even a mention.
I mean, lots of stars played in the CAF Champions' League, CAF's flagship competition. How come none of these fellas are nominated?

Red-Light:
wow..3 ivorians? this shows that ivory coast is the new giant of africa when it comes to football.... well nigeria shall rise again when are develop talented boiz and not boiz that are just in for the money

just 2 ivorians. Song is camerounian, demba ba is senegalese while ayew is a ghanaian.

Sir Method: Story teller! what kind of Jeep would have its engine in the 'boot'

beetle volkswagen

astO̶̲̥̅̊r®:
yes, mikel has developed his game, won both the champions league and the FA cups

na only him play to win FA & CHAMP LEAGUE ? Dat squad of atalanta 96 and tunisia 94 and japan 93 na him we need back, team work football,

AjanleKoko: How come there are no local players nominated? Only players playing in Europe seem to get the award, or even a mention.
I mean, lots of stars played in the CAF Champions' League, CAF's flagship competition. How come none of these fellas are nominated?

Because they are normally not good enough.

rusher14: I've always said the world hates Nigeria, did they not see Chrisantus Macaulay?

How does the world hate Nigeria?

Leave matter joor!Mikel is an average player @ best.wat xtra does d lad bring into d game?if u see Mikel warming up from bench to substitute anoda player wen chelsea is down and losing will it ring in ur mind dat any tin new can happen on d pitch?person wey na only 5 yards passes e dey complete.7 seasons no single premiership goal.na money d guy just dey chelsea dey collect dats all.

I think the fact that our players were snubbed shows the sorry state of football in our country.

http://.co.uk/2012/11/bbc-african-footballer-of-year-2012yaya_23.html?m=0

For those who say Mikel does not deserve to be there, what did Song achieve to make the list, the only 2 people other than Mikel that deserve to be on that list would be Drogba and Yaya T. What did Ayew do, or is it Demba Ba? Mikel has a lot of improvement to do but sentiments aside he was the pillar of Chelsea's midfield all through last season and won a doub
le, FA Cup and the prestigious CL. The only thing Mikel didn't do is excel for Super Eagles and I don't think Ayew and Ba or Song did for their country either. And for those who think these guys that vote for this players are not political pray tell, why did Okocha not win Africa best all through his career? What is wrong if the most valuable player in CAF nations cup or the man who carried Zambia to glory is on the final list?

Alexandre song ahead of the Zambian captain who had Л̴ smashing nations Cup? CAF U̶̲̥̅̊ gotta β℮ kidding me

If mikel was a cameroonian..... He would v make the cut .... Song won nothing lst year nd hez there

Sagamite:

Because they are normally not good enough.

Nah, you don't get the point. Being 'good' or otherwise is moot, given the factors at play here.

This is an award, not floated by UEFA or FIFA. It's run by CAF, and hosted on the shores of Africa.
They have two flagship competitions, in which football clubs from all over Africa participate. Yes, we've got a lot of players abroad, but there are far more players in Africa than are outside the shores of Africa. If CAF is pushing Africa's interest, should it not seek to boost coverage of their own flagship competitions by promoting players who played in those competitions?

Think about it. It's the only logical way to draw sponsorship to those competitions. There are lots of MNCs in Africa that would happily get on the bandwagon, if the exposure is guaranteed. Only goes to show that African sports administrators, like the other African administrators, are daft come-chops

DailyNews: I was expecting Mikel to be on the final list because he has greatly improved, now pushes the game forward and making attempts to score...now I am pissed...sighs

true wordsjust wanted to tell u dat am part of those that liked ur comment,bt d funny tin is dat am a utd fan.

Born 2be Rich: I know say one day our boys will make us proud again.....

when will that be.....if na dz generation..4get dem

What most Nigerians don't understand is the fact that most other African nations don't like us or even want to see Nigerians being on the good news- music, movie, football, wealth, business, education, etc. You may not believe it, they are not smiling at Nigerians dominating the music industry, movie, education and even topping the Africa rich list.


They love hearing Boko Haram news, corruption, money laundering, internet scam, etc involving Nigerians. Visit some African countries and hear what their citizens have to say about Nigerians- ritualists, corrupt people, blah, blah, blah.


Now to the topic, who said Mikel doesn't merit being on the final list with the calibre of players in there? If not for Drogba, which other player there plays better than Mikel Maybe you guys need to watch their games with clear mind n not based on sentiment that Mikel is playing for Chelsea.

AjanleKoko:

Nah, you don't get the point. Being 'good' or otherwise is moot, given the factors at play here.

This is an award, not floated by UEFA or FIFA. It's run by CAF, and hosted on the shores of Africa.
They have two flagship competitions, in which football clubs from all over Africa participate. Yes, we've got a lot of players abroad, but there are far more players in Africa than are outside the shores of Africa. If CAF is pushing Africa's interest, should it not seek to boost coverage of their own flagship competitions by promoting players who played in those competitions?

Think about it. It's the only logical way to draw sponsorship to those competitions. There are lots of MNCs in Africa that would happily get on the bandwagon, if the exposure is guaranteed. Only goes to show that African sports administrators, like the other African administrators, are daft come-chops

Nah, I think it should strictly be on merit basis.

The AFoY states the best African player on the planet. If CAF is seeking funding and sponsorship, then let them devise other avenues.

If a player is good in ACL, then let an award for that be developed. To boost coverage of their flagship competition, then they should do what is done by leading competitions: great football, great commentary, civilised and high security, impartial officiating, good quality pitches, competitive teams, wide media coverage etc. These would raise ethusiasism locally and MNCs will show interest. All that require funds, but starting them on your own generates the funds. Let them start with good free football, officiating and media coverage first. There was a reason the EPL offered its football for virtually free at the start. Once people got hooked and enjoyed the quality, they then suckered them to pay for it. If CAF officials don't have this marketing skill, let them hire a cocaine seller who is used to using this tactic for market development.

The minute you start celebrating mediocrity as your highest form of achievement, you will be perpetuiting mediocrity as your model standard.

mutiply: true wordsjust wanted to tell u dat am part of those that liked ur comment,bt d funny tin is dat am a utd fan.

Thanks man, united we stand as Nigerians to protect and stand for our own, up Nigeria United Fan Club!

AjanleKoko:

Nah, you don't get the point. Being 'good' or otherwise is moot, given the factors at play here.

This is an award, not floated by UEFA or FIFA. It's run by CAF, and hosted on the shores of Africa.
They have two flagship competitions, in which football clubs from all over Africa participate. Yes, we've got a lot of players abroad, but there are far more players in Africa than are outside the shores of Africa. If CAF is pushing Africa's interest, should it not seek to boost coverage of their own flagship competitions by promoting players who played in those competitions?

Think about it. It's the only logical way to draw sponsorship to those competitions. There are lots of MNCs in Africa that would happily get on the bandwagon, if the exposure is guaranteed. Only goes to show that African sports administrators, like the other African administrators, are daft come-chops

I love this comment if at all it can be put into practice, nice one man

fr_evangel: For those who say Mikel does not deserve to be there, what did Song achieve to make the list, the only 2 people other than Mikel that deserve to be on that list would be Drogba and Yaya T. What did Ayew do, or is it Demba Ba? Mikel has a lot of improvement to do but sentiments aside he was the pillar of Chelsea's midfield all through last season and won a doub
le, FA Cup and the prestigious CL. The only thing Mikel didn't do is excel for Super Eagles and I don't think Ayew and Ba or Song did for their country either. And for those who think these guys that vote for this players are not political pray tell, why did Okocha not win Africa best all through his career? What is wrong if the most valuable player in CAF nations cup or the man who carried Zambia to glory is on the final list?

Pillar of what Chelsea midfield team? Do you take drugs?

Song was at the heartbeat of Arsenal last season with Van Persie. I can still remember some of his deft passes to VP and his ridiculous work rate and ball possession skills. No wonder Barca came calling.

ABEGI Mikel na player? see me see wahala oh!!

Yeah mikel has developed of recent but u have 2 remeber that the yard stick used in picking the nominees isnt based on recent stats. I was even surprised that mikel was in the last 10.

mikel deserve a place in the top five

See as Chelsea fans dey think. Mikel played better than Yaya Toure and Demba Ba? Next you'll say Drogba deserves the Ballon d'Or

Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red-Light:
wow..3 ivorians? this shows that ivory coast is the new giant of africa when it comes to football.... well nigeria shall rise again when are develop talented boiz and not boiz that are just in for the money

Are they now? They've been the giant of football in Africa in the last 6 years, forget about the fact that they did not win ANC in the period.

Sagamite:

Nah, I think it should strictly be on merit basis.

The AFoY states the best African player on the planet. If CAF is seeking funding and sponsorship, then let them devise other avenues.

If a player is good in ACL, then let an award for that be developed. To boost coverage of their flagship competition, then they should do what is done by leading competitions: great football, great commentary, civilised and high security, impartial officiating, good quality pitches, competitive teams, wide media coverage etc. These would raise ethusiasism locally and MNCs will show interest. All that require funds, but starting them on your own generates the funds. Let them start with good free football, officiating and media coverage first. There was a reason the EPL offered its football for virtually free at the start. Once people got hooked and enjoyed the quality, they then suckered them to pay for it. If CAF officials don't have this marketing skill, let them hire a cocaine seller who is used to using this tactic for market development.

The minute you start celebrating mediocrity as your highest form of achievement, you will be perpetuiting mediocrity as your model standard.

There is no mediocrity in selecting a player who plays in Africa as the best African player on the planet.
Last year's award was won by Yaya Toure, whose national team didn't win the African Cup of Nations, and his club crashed out of all continental competitions.
In contrast, Oussema Daragi from Esperance, who was selected as the top African player playing on the continent, played and even scored in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011. His club won a treble in Africa - domestic league in Tunisia, Tunisian Federation Cup, and the Champions League.

Who should such players not be placed side by side with their European-based counterparts? Just look at this year's selection; it includes Toure again, and Song, who has not won any title either in Europe or with his national side. How is that not mediocrity?

I would struggle with the notion that Song is better than Daragi - a notion further compounded by the fact that the relatively stable economy of the MENA region ensures that they keep their players at home. We all know why the sub-Saharans are always turning up in Europe, from Cyprus to Moldova.

Alex Song is among the final five, So tell me if Song is a world class player.

Abujafood: Before Nko, who wan dash monkey Banana! We no longer have world class players so let's accept the reality!

kutchs: Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mikel wasn't spectacular. At best he was average with a couple of great games.
Compare Essien, when he was at his peak.

Now, tell me which of these 5 guys he would have dislodged?
Ba did better in same EPL and was more influential, even though he had a poor ANC. Mikel's Nigeria didn't qualify anyway. Yes, he won UCL, but he wasn't the pivot of that feat. Drogba was. Debatable, but I will stick pick Ba over him lats season.

Dede Ayew scored 16 goals for Marseille, some very spectacular. He scored wonder goal in AFCON 2012 too and Ghana got to semis. He outdid Mikel.

Drogba, Katongo & Yaya - No comment. Not debatable.

kutchs: Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/b]Alex Song, Dede Ayew and Demba Ba?
For what?
Am no Mikel's fan but me think Mikel was more consistent than them all this past season.
he may not score goals but he is the reason why Chelsea is tick.

This award sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mikel wasn't spectacular. At best he was average with a couple of great games.
Compare Essien, when he was at his peak.

Now, tell me which of these 5 guys he would have dislodged?
Ba did better in same EPL and was more influential, even though he had a poor ANC. Mikel's Nigeria didn't qualify anyway. Yes, he won UCL, but he wasn't the pivot of that feat. Drogba was. Debatable, but I will stick pick Ba over him lats season.

Dede Ayew scored 16 goals for Marseille, some very spectacular. He scored wonder goal in AFCON 2012 too and Ghana got to semis. He outdid Mikel.

Drogba, Katongo & Yaya - No comment. Not debatable.

@ajanlekoko God bless your brain

AjanleKoko:

There is no mediocrity in selecting a player who plays in Africa as the best African player on the planet.
Last year's award was won by Yaya Toure, whose national team didn't win the African Cup of Nations, and his club crashed out of all continental competitions.
In contrast, Oussema Daragi from Esperance, who was selected as the top African player playing on the continent, played and even scored in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2011. His club won a treble in Africa - domestic league in Tunisia, Tunisian Federation Cup, and the Champions League.

Who should such players not be placed side by side with their European-based counterparts? Just look at this year's selection; it includes Toure again, and Song, who has not won any title either in Europe or with his national side. How is that not mediocrity?

I would struggle with the notion that Song is better than Daragi - a notion further compounded by the fact that the relatively stable economy of the MENA region ensures that they keep their players at home. We all know why the sub-Saharans are always turning up in Europe, from Cyprus to Moldova.

Jarus:
Mikel wasn't spectacular. At best he was average with a couple of great games.
Compare Essien, when he was at his peak.

Now, tell me which of these 5 guys he would have dislodged?
Ba did better in same EPL and was more influential, even though he had a poor ANC. Mikel's Nigeria didn't qualify anyway. Yes, he won UCL, but he wasn't the pivot of that feat. Drogba was. Debatable, but I will stick pick Ba over him lats season.

Dede Ayew scored 16 goals for Marseille, some very spectacular. He scored wonder goal in AFCON 2012 too and Ghana got to semis. He outdid Mikel.

Drogba, Katongo & Yaya - No comment. Not debatable.

Oh, I just saw Katongo is not on that list. I had presumed he was going to be no 1.
Oh, that doesnt encourage or appreciate national team performance, which CAF as continental body, should encourage. This was a man that was pivotal to Zambia winning the last Nations cup, edgeing along the was Drogba's CIV and Ayew's Ghana. No, this is not right. When I had thought this was a straight fight between Katongo (ANC Champs) and Drogba(UCL champs.

Now, it is all too easy to know Drogba will win this giving the distance between him and these 4 other guys. Song should have given way for Katongo.