Victor Wanyama, who plays for the English Premier League side Southampton, has been nominated for the 2013 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year Award. ‘Mugabe’ as he is popularly known in Kenya is among twenty-five African players that have been nominated for the African player of the year award.

LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1. Ahmed Musa (Nigeria, CSKA Moscow)
2. Asamoah Gyan (Ghana, Al Ain)
3. Dame N’Doye (Senegal, Locomotiv Moscow)
4. Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire, Galatasaray)
5. Emmanuel Emenike (Nigeria, Fenerbahce)
6. Islam Slimani (Algeria, Sporting Lisbon)
7. John Mikel Obi (Nigeria, Chelsea).
8. Jonathan Pitroipa (Burkina Faso, Stade Rennais)
9. Kévin Constant (Guinea, AC Milan)
10. Kwadwo Asamoah, (Ghana, Juventus)
11. Luís Carlos Almada – (Platini Cape Verde)
12. AC Omonia- Mehdi Benattia (Morocco, AS Roma)
13. Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt, Al Ahly)
14. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Basel FC)
15. Nicolas Nkoulou (Cameroon, Marseille)
16. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,
17. Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça, (Cape Verde ,Lille)
18. Saladin Said (Ethiopia, Wadi Degla FC)
19. Seydou Keita ( Mali, Dalian Aerbin F.C)
20. Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria, Valencia)
21. Sunday Mba ( Nigeria, Warri Wolves)
22. Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria, Lille)
23. Yao Kouassi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire, AS Roma)
24. Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire, Manchester City)

WANYAMA OUTSTANDING TALENT

Victor Wanyama has continued to display outstanding talent in the pitch and it’s not surprising that he is now in the ranks of notable African players contending for the African Player of the Year, an award he might just take away from Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire, the reigning African Player of the Year.

Wanyama moved to Premier League club Southampton on 11 July 2013, for a fee of £12.5 million making him the most expensive player to be sold by a Scottish club (Celtic). He is also considered the highest paid footballer in Kenya and has made historical milestones in his football career in a very short period of time. He became the first ever Kenyan player to play in the Scottish Premier League when he completed a £900,000 move to Celtic from Beerscho in July 201l. He also became the first East African player to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored the first goal in Celtic’s historic 2–1 win over Barcelona on 7 November 2012.

AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

According to goal.com, 21 other players were also nominated for the African Player of the Year (for players based in Africa). These are the players only playing within Africa: Adane Girma, Ethiopia (St George), Ahmed Fathi, Egypt, (Al Ahly), Alexis Yougouda Kada, Cameroon (Coton Sport), Ali Machani, Tunisia (CAB), Bapidi Fils Jean Jules, Cameroon (Coton Sport), Daine Marcelle-Klate, South Africa, (Orlando Pirates), Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Tunisia (CSS), Getaneh Kebede, Ethiopia (Bidvest Wits), Idrissa Kouyate, Cote d’Ivoire (CS Sfaxien), Iheb Msakni, Tunisia (Esperance), Luyanda Lennox Bacela, South Africa (Orlando Pirates), Mbwana Samatta, Tanzania (TP Mazembe), Moez Ben Cherifia, (Tunisia), Rainford Kalaba, Zambia, (TP Mazembe), Senzo Meyiwa, South Africa (Orlando Pirates), Soumbeila Diakite, Mali (Stade Malien), Sunday Mba, Nigeria (Warri Wolves), Tresor Mputu, DR Congo (TP Mazembe), Waleed Soliman, Egypt (Al Ahly) and Mohamed Aboutrika, Egypt (Ahly) who holds the crown for the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa).

“ALWAYS DO BETTER”

The winners will be announced at the Glo-Caf Awards Gala on Thursday, January 9, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria. The Kenya Forum wishes Wanyama all the best and as his motto goes; “Always do better”. Kenyans are proud of you!