Football tweeps route for new African idols as Enyama top list

ITRealms:

Barely 24 hours count down to the proclamation of Glo-Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Footballer of Year 2014, followers of key contenders on social media, especially Twitter, known as tweeps are routing their support for the Super Eagle Captain Vincent Enyeama @vincentEnyeama and current title holder, Yaya Toure @YayaToure as well as the Gabonese midfielder Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports ITRealms.

The pronouncement, ITRealms gathered is due at the gala nite slated to take place on Thursday, January 8, 2015 at Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Lagos.

The aforementioned trio, ITRealms reports, made the final lap following the verdicts from Head Coaches or Technical Directors of the national associations affiliated to #CAF, Vincent Enyeama and Yaya Toure are the leading contenders.

Touted as the Oscars of African Football the Glo-CAF award ITRealms reports is an annual event to celebrate the continent’s premium football idols for an individual award, personal performance of a player as football club or country a player represents to win tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, nations cup, champions league or Europa league, play minimal role in picking a candidate.

Thus Glo-CAF attracts the biggest names in world of sport, just as this year awards promises to surpass the last edition in terms of the detail of planning, and overall event quality and class. 

ITRealms recalls that Nigerian golden gloves, Vincent assisted his club side, Lille to finish third in Ligue1, even as he assist the Les Dogues to the UEFA Champions League preliminary stages as well as leading the Super Eagles to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil round of 16 with top class saves.

To crown it all a prestigious French Newspaper, L’Equipe, picked him as best in Ligue1 for 2014.

Responding on his performance on the forth coming prestigious accolade, on Nigeria Super Eagle Twitter page @NGSuperEagles Goal Keeper Vincent Enyeama tweeted that “he has done enough to win #GloCafAwards2014, I deserve it.”

However, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick said that Enyeama's individual exploits in 2014 will stand him out this time around. "He was in fabulous form for his club (Lille of France), and also played brilliant roles for the Super Eagles to reach the round of 16 at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. I am not in anyway disrespecting the other candidates. I have immense respect for them, but I will pick Enyeama," Pinnick said.

Corroborating NFF’s President, Former super Eagles Captain, Joseph Yobo expressed confident that “For me it was a great year and good season for Enyeama. All the nominated candidates are good but the Lille goalkeeper will dust his opponents and end Nigeria’s 15year wait for the continents prestigious award

More so, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Chairman of Enyimba International Football Club of Aba, has thrown his weight on Enyeama that “ he has been outstanding for the club and country and when you judge his performance over the years, he deserves such an accolade.

Jamila Buhari, @jamilaAM Nigeria’s first female referee could not  hide her thought and believe when she said,  “Enyeama deserves to be given the award.  “He was even picked as the best African Goalkeeper of the Year at the FIFA level.

He singled himself out among the super Eagles with the passion of playing, and I pray the award finally goes to him,’’ 

Seyi Akinwunmi, NFA’s First Vice-Chairman, is also optimistic of Enyeama clinching the personal accolade.

“I think he should win it. I have given him my vote and I’m very hopeful, first of all as a Nigerian, but having watched Enyeama’s performance. There is no doubt in my mind that he will take it this time,” he said.

Banji Bayo/GEE

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Pix: Super Eagle Captain Vincent Enyeam