Osimhen wins African Youth Player of the Year as Gabon's Aubameyang topples Toure

GOLDEN Eaglets scoring sensation Victor Osimhen added another laurel to his growing list of honours yesterday when he was named as the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Youth Player of the Year at the Caf/Glo Awards last night.

 

Osimhen, 17, who broke the scoring record at last year's U17 World Cup in Chile by finding the back of the net 10 times, won the golden book at the tournament and picked up the silver ball for being its second best player. He has since been the subject of enquiries from numerous European clubs, with Arsenal in the English Premiership and Wolfsburg in Germany's Die Bundesliga leading the way.

 

At the glitzy Caf/Glo Awards yesterday, Osimhen was among the winners again, with Nigeria's U23 star Oghenekaro Etebo, also picking up an award after being named the CAF Most Promising Player for 2015. Etebo was top goal scorer at the U23 African Cup of Nations in Senegal where Nigeria qualified for the Rio Olympics football tournament with five goals.

 

Also at the event, Ivorian skipper Yaya Toure relinquished his dominance of the continent’s football as he lost the illustrious position as the African Footballer of the Year to Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Toure had won the award for four consecutive years before last night when Aubameyang beat him and Ghana’s Andre Ayew to the title.

 

Mbwana Aly Samatta of Botswana was voted the African Player of the Year Based in Africa, while the Coach of the Year awards was given to Herve Renard who led Ivory Coast to the 2015 African cup. Renard, the former Zambia coach, beat Nigeria’s Emmanuel Amunike who led Nigeria to victory in the 2015 Fifa U-17 World Cup.

 

Gaelle Enganamouit of Cameroon beat Nigeria’s Ngozi Ebere to the Women’s Player of the Year award, while the Referee of the Year gong went to Bakary Papa Gassama of Gambia. African Legends awards were presented to both Charles Gyamfi of Ghana and Samuel Leppe of Cameroon.

 

Ivory Coast won National Team of the Year, while the Cameroonian ladies were voted the Women’s National Team of the Year. Caf's Fair Play Award went to Allez Casa of Senegal, the Senegalese football supporters club, while TP Mazembe, who won the last Caf Champions League were voted the Club of the Year.