Ikpeba Drums Support for Emenike, Mikel, Others

Former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Nosa Ikpeba, has thrown his weight behind Super Eagles players like Emmanuel Emenike, John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses and Vincent Enyeama as possible candidates to win the 2013 Glo-CAF award.
Ikpeba who won the award in 1997 insisted yesterday in Lagos that given what Super Eagles have achieved this year in the game and
the contributions of these players to that success, “a Nigerian player ought to be considered for the African player of the year award.”
The former Monaco of France forward said that apart from winning the Nations Cup last February and also getting the ticket to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year, Nigerian players have been outstanding in the continent this year.
“Mikel, Emenike, Moses and Enyeama have been outstanding this season. I think those voting players for the award need to look in their direction,” he stressed.
However, Ikpeba urged Nigerians to be patient till the final shortlist for the award is released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to know those in the running for African football top prize no Nigerian player has won in over a decade and half.
Meanwhile, the sponsor of the annual African Footballer of the Year Award, Globacom and CAF have said that great attention has been paid to every detail to ensure the emergence of a credible winner through a very transparent process in the 2013 Glo-CAF Awards slated for January 9, 2014 in Lagos.
They also pledged that the presentation ceremony to be held at the Eko Hotel Convention centre, will be an unprecedented spectacle and magical in scope and scale.
Both Globacom and CAF gave the assurance at a joint press conference in Lagos yesterday.
Globacom's National Sales Coordinator, Segun Adeyemo, represented the company while CAF Director of Media Division, Mr. Junior Binyam, spoke on behalf of the confederation.
According to Globacom, “The 2013 Glo-CAF Awards, with the theme: "Icons of Africa: Past, Present, Future," is aimed at "honouring
the legacy of the past; celebrating the Icons of today; and inspiring the Icons of the future."
Coming on the heels of the release of the list of Top 25 African best players by CAF, Binyam stated that coaches and captains of African
national football teams will vote for the best player in the continent and the list will be pruned down from 25 to the Top Ten, Top Five and Top Three in subsequent weeks. He said one of the Top Three will be unveiled as the winner at the awards night. "The
countdown to the Awards night has started," he said.
Binyam commended Globacom for sponsoring the Glo-CAF Awards since 2005, adding that if more corporate organisations made huge
contributions to sports such as Glo was making, Africa would be one of the top competing continents on the field of play.
Adeyemo said Globacom's partnership with CAF, which is in its 8th year, is in "line with its vision of raising the profile of African football and the continent's players, just as the Glo network is dedicated to adding value to the lives of the people in the countries
where the company has its footprint.”
Globacom also said that its customers will enjoy the special privilege of attending the 2013 Awards to meet and interact with top African footballers and Administrators during the Gala night. To gain access to the event,
all the customers need to do is to participate in the ongoing sms promo tagged “Top up and secure a seat at the Glo CAF Awards
Ceremony" by spending N10, 000 or more between now and January 2nd, 2014 to make calls or browse the internet on the Glo network.
“Our subscribers have been amazing; they have stood solidly behind the Glo brand andbthis is another golden opportunity to
appreciate and reward them for their loyalty,"
Adeyemo stated further.
Five Nigerian players made the list of top 25 contenders for the Best African Player of the Year. They include John Mikel Obi of Chelsea
Football Club London, Vincent Enyeama of Lille, France, Emmanuel Emenike of Fernabache, Turkey, Ahmed Musa of CSKA,
Moscow and Sunday Mba of Warri Wolves, Nigeria.

Hehehe happy for the chosen nigerian stars, we are behind you guys, guys try to vote oooo....