Nigeria’s football gets back on track as African footballer of the year as three Super Eagles members are shortlisted for the 2016 African Player of the Year award

Mikel Obi       Picture: www.36ng.com.ng

Three Nigerians have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2016 African Player of the Year award. They are Mikel Obi of Chelsea, Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa who joined Leicester City from Russian champions CSKA Moscow at the beginning of the season. This is remarkable because the Super Eagles failed to qualify for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations coming up in Gabon.

Ahmed Musa    Picture: www.bellanaija.com

The two other countries with three nominations each are Algeria and African champions Ivory Coast.

Of the 30-man shortlist, 13 ply their trade in the English Premier League, an indication of the league’s pull for Africa’s best players. Apart from the three Nigerians, the list of Premier League players includes Riyad Mahrez (Leicester), Eric Bailly (Manchester United), Andre Ayew (West Ham), Islam Slimani (Leicester) and Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal). Others are Victor Wanyama (Tottenham), Yannick Bolasie (Everton), Sadio Mane (Liverpool) and Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland).

Notable names from other leagues are: four-time winner Samuel Eto'o, Serge Aurier, Gervinho, Medhi Benatia, Mohamed Salah, and Kalidou Koulibaly.

The most conspicuous absentee is Yaya Toure, four-time winner of the award. The 33-year-old midfielder who captained Ivory Coast to victory in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations has been frozen out at Manchester City since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, thus denying him a chance to win the award for an unprecedented fifth time.

Although the favourites for the awards are Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and 2015 winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon, it is gratifying to see the names of Nigerian players on the list of Africa’s finest.

In 1996 six Nigerians featured prominently in CAF’s Top 10, the highest from a single nation in the history of the awards. But soon after, Nigeria’s fortunes nosedived, and for a long time the country’s football was in a state of coma. Nothing seemed able to revive it. The country that produced some of the world’s most exciting players had apparently lost its mojo.

However, Nigeria’s talent pool is looking rich again and the future looks bright. 20-year-old Iheanacho epitomizes Nigeria’s resurrection. The striker has risen gradually to the pinnacle of world football.

Kelechi Iheanacho    Picture: ESPN

In 2013, he was voted Under-17 World Cup Most Valuable Player and CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year. The next year he was nominated for the English Premiership Golden Boy Award, which was eventually won by Anthony Martial of Manchester United. And now he is among Africa’s best exports and one of the most lethal strikers in Europe, scoring 10 goals in 14 attempts on target for Man City. He has also netted four goals in as many games for the Super Eagles.

His goal in the 2-1 win over Zambia during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Ndola was voted CNN Goal of the Week. That was the second time in two months that he has won the award.

Following closely on Iheanacho’s heels is Alex Iwobi, 20, nephew of the legendary Jay-Jay Okocha. Iwobi is so good that he has been named as one of the best young talents in Europe.  Small wonder the English FA tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to make him play for England national team.

The fortunes of Victor Moses have also risen under the guidance of Antonio Conte in Chelsea. The Kaduna-born winger, who had been frozen out of the Blues’ team by previous managers, is enjoying a new lease of life. He is truly rejuvenated. So far, he has scored three goals in eight games for Chelsea.

With the likes of Watford’s duo of Odion Ighalo and Isaac Success also knocking on the door, no one should be surprised to see more Nigerian names featuring in the African Player of the Year list in 2017.