Moses, Mikel Among Five African Players Shortlisted for BBC Football Award Nigeria’s Victor Moses and Mikel Obi have been named among the five top players shortlisted for 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award. Mikel and Moses both starred for Nations Cup winners Nigeria as the Super Eagles lifted the trophy for the first time in 19 years. The 26-year-old Mikel also won the Europa League with Chelsea, for whom Moses, 22, scored six goals in 2013 before joining English Premier League rivals Liverpool on a season-long loan, where he also scored on his debut for the Merseysiders in September. Also shortlisted alongside Moses and Mikel are Manchester City and Ivory Coast star, Yaya Toure who is making the shortlist for the fifth straight year, but yet to win any as well as Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon. The winner, who will be announced on December 2, will be chosen by a fans’ text and website vote after the shortlist was drawn up by 44 journalists from across Africa. None of this year’s five contenders have yet won the award, while Pitroipa and Aubameyang are the first nominees from their respective countries. The 24-year-old Aubameyang ended the 2012/13 season with 19 goals for Saint Etienne, which put him second in the list of top scorers in the French Ligue 1, while he also helped them win the French Cup to claim his first trophy as a professional. His form then saw him earn a pre-season transfer ahead of the current European campaign to Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and he has already scored seven goals in 11 games for the German side. Pitroipa has already won one major award, with the 27-year-old winger named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa after helping surprise package Burkina Faso reach the final.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:33:40 +0000
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