Glo/CAF: Ikpeba, Okocha tip Toure, Oliseh wants Ayew

Pius Ayinor and Idris Adesina

Top Nigeria football celebrities have pitched their tents behind different players as the Glo/CAF African Footballer of The Year awards hold in Abuja on Thursday. While a former African Footballer of The Year Victor Ikpeba and former Eagles captain Austin Okocha are fully behind Yaya Toure to keep the title, Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has emotionally put his cash on Andre Ayew.

Oliseh, who is Pretoria, South Africa with the Eagles preparing for the African Nations Championships told The PUNCH, “I think Ayew deserves it to stop the monotony.”

Toure, who has won the award for four consecutive years, is nominated for the award along with Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ghana’s Ayew.

Okocha thinks differently from Oliseh. He told our correspondent, “Toure is above the others. I know people have talked about his dominance for the past four years but it’s not his fault that other players have not risen well enough to challenge him.”

Ikpeba told The PUNCH on the telephone on Wednesday that Toure is still the candidate to back.

He said, “He has been exceptional. For instance if we look at his last two goals in the English Premier League, we would agree that he’s quite a gifted player. In the last five years he has been the most consistent African player in the whole of Europe.

“He may not have been the way he was like six years ago but even at that he is still ahead. Aubameyang is also very good but the Nations Cup Toure won with Ivory Coast gives him some edge. It’s Toure but if Aubameyand gets it, it wouldn’t any surprise.”

Another former Eagles captain Henry Nwosu has said Toure remains the best for the 2015 award.

He will become the first player to win the award for five consecutive years if he wins it on Thursday.

Nwosu, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday, believes the Manchester City midfielder has done everything right in 2015 to win the award for the fifth time.

“Toure has done enough to win it. He is an influential player to both country and club last year. He helped Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title after a long time and he also helped Man City to finish strongly last season.

“He is still arguably the best African player in Europe. The other two players are just coming into limelight and have yet to sustain it for such a long time as Toure. He deserves to win it again.

“It is painful that no Nigerian could compete with him as was the case last year but I hope our players can take a cue from him and be at their best in 2016 to merit a place in the awards.”

Source: PUNCH