TheCable

Amaju Pinnick, president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is backing either of Vincent Enyeama or Ahmed Musa to win the 2014 African Player of the Year award.

CAF on Thursday listed 25 players, including Ivorian Yaya Toure – who has won the award in the past three years – in the initial pool for the Player of the Year, ahead of a shortlist of five that will be released early December. And Pinnick has given his nod to the Nigerian duo to claim the top prize.

“If we look critically at the list, it would be difficult to see any player who has done more for club and country in the outgoing year than Vincent Enyeama and Ahmed Musa,” Pinnick said.

“Both were in fabulous forms for their clubs (Enyeama with Lille OSC of France and Musa with CSKA Moscow of Russia) during the year, and also played brilliant roles as the Super Eagles reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.”

But the boss made it clear that he was in no way disrespecting other players vying for the award.

“I have immense respect for most of the players listed, particularly Toure, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana, and the Algerian trio of Slimani, Feghouli and Brahimi who also steered their team to the Round of 16 at the World Cup.

“Yet, the exploits of Enyeama and Musa in the outgoing year have been exceptional. Either of them deserves the award.”

The Glo-CAF African Football Awards will take place in Lagos on January 8, 2015.

Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) are the only Nigerian players to have won Africa’s top prize.