Essien guns for Player of the Year

Accra, Feb. 16, GNA - Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien, Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o Fils have been short-listed for the CAF Player of the Year 2009.

The nominees for the prestigious individual honour in African football were unveiled at a press briefing on Tuesday in Accra organized by the continent's football soccer governing body, CAF and partners, Globacom. Of the trio, Essien is making an unprecedented fourth appearance among the final three and has yet to get the ultimate in the annual awards incepted by CAF in 1993.

The ceremony was to officially unveil the finalists for the flagship award and other categories at the Awards Gala billed for the Banquet Hall, State House, Accra, on Thursday, March 11.

The other categories of the awards are the 'Best African Player' on the continent, 'Young Player of the Year', 'National Team of the Year' and 'Club of the Year'.

CAF Director of Communications, Sulemana Habuba explained that the choice of Ghana as the venue for the awards was due to CAF's appreciation of football development in the country.

Mr Habuba said the winner for the flagship event will be decided by votes from the head coaches of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, whilst the Members of the Media and Technical Committees of CAF vote on the other categories.

Ex-Black Star defender Anthony Baffoe revealed to GNA Sports that the contenders of the flagship award is made up of Essien, his Chelsea team mate Drogba and Inter Milan striker Eto'o.

The contenders for the other categories were also unveiled by Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi.

The Best African player on the continent has Uche Agba (Heartland FC, Nigeria), Mputu Mabi (T.P. Mazembe - DR Congo) and Abdelmalek Ziaya (Entente Setif - Algeria) with Heartland FC (Nigeria), Stade Malien (Mali) and T.P. Mazembe (DR Congo) vying for Club of the Year award.

Ghana's performance during the year led to her nominations in three other categories; National Team of the Year alongside Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire. Black Satellites striker Dominic Adiyiah is also in the reckoning for 'Young Player of the Year' award with Kermit Erasmus of South Africa and Sani Emmanuel of Nigeria as contenders, whilst Sellas Tetteh will battle it out with Diego Garzito of TP Mazembe and John Obuh of the Nigeria U-17 team for the Coach of the Year prize.

This is the second time Ghana is hosting the annual awards after 2007. 16 Feb. 10

African Footballer of the Year 2009

Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire)
Michael Essien (Chelsea and Ghana)
Samuel Eto’o Fils (Inter Milan and Cameroon)

Best African player on the continent 2009

Uche Agba (Heartland FC and Nigeria)
Mputu Mabi (T.P. Mazembe and DR Congo)
Abdelmalek Ziaya (Entente Setif and Algeria)

National Team of the Year 2009

Algeria
Cote d’Ivoire
Ghana

Club of the Year 2009

Heartland FC (Nigeria)
Stade Malien (Mali)
T.P. Mazembe (DR Congo)

Young Player of the Year 2009

Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan and Ghana U-20)
Kermit Erasmus (Feyenoord and South Africa U-20)
Sani Emmanuel (Bodens BK and Nigeria U-17)

Coach of the Year 2009

Diego Garzitto (T.P. Mazembe)
John Obuh (Nigeria U-17)
Sellas Tetteh (Ghana U-20)