MIKEL OBI PROUD OF CAF AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION

MIKEL OBI

Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi is proud of his nomination for the CAF African Player of the Year alongside his compatriots, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa.

Mikel, Iheanacho and Musa made the long list of players that have been nominated for the awards which will be announced on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at the Glo-CAF Awards night in Abuja.

Mikel, 29 took to his Twitter on Tuesday, October 18 to react to the nomination.

“Proud for Nigeria to be nominated for @CAF_Online African Footballer of the Year along with Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa,” the Super Eagles captain wrote.

Mikel who came out second in the 2013 edition of the award lead Nigeria’s Dream Team VI to bronze in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the year under review.

In the year under review also, Musa won the Russian Premier League title with CSKA Moscow while Iheanacho won the League Cup in his first year at in the senior team of Manchester City after he gained promotion from the youth side in the summer of 2015.

Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez who is also favourite has been included alongside holder, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Shortlist for African Player of the Year

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City), El Arabi Hillel Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb) , Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor) , Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient), Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & PSG). Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester City), Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma),  Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund), Andre Ayew (Ghana & West Ham), Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham), William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club), Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus), Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax), John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea), Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City), Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Leicester City), Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal), Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton), Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli), Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns), Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs), Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk), Aymen Abdennour Tunisia & Valencia), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland), Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns), Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)