By Asisat Oshoala, Mohammed Salah Win CAF African Footballers Of The Year
Nigeria’s Super Falcon forward, Asisat Oshoala and Egypt’s striker, Mohammed Salah were on Thursday night announced winner of the AITEO CAF 2017 African Footballers of The Year.
Salah, the Liverpool star won the award ahead of Gabon’s Aubameyang and Sadio Mane of Senegal who were also in the race with him. His performance in the last year has been winning him accolades recently, including the BBC African Footballer of the Year.
Ikorodu born Asisat won the Women’s Player of the Year beating Cameroon’s Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene and South Africa’s Chrestina Kgatlana, making it her third in her career after winning it in 2014 and 2016.
Moments after collecting her award plaque, Asisat disclosed that the past year has been emotional for her and also a special moment of her career. She revealed that speculators were of the opinion her career was gone after she moved from Arsenal to China.
She said, “It’s been truly an emotional journey through 2017. I must say this is one of the special moment in my career because when I left Arsenal and moved to China a lot of people said that, Asisat your career is going to be gone but I told myself that I can do this and I think I have done that. I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the young girls do not let anyone talk you down, don’t listen to anyone, just follow your heart.”
The CAF Award gala which was sponsored by Aiteo Group and held at the International Conference Centre, Accra had in attendance dignitaries such as former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode among others.
