Weekly Trust (Kaduna)
Abdul Aodu
8 February 2002
As CAF prepares to unveil the 2001 African player of the year in Jo'burg South Africa on Saturday, February 9th, Weekly Trust peeps into the chances of the finalists.
Late 2001, Confederation of African Football (CAF) nominated three outstanding African footballers to be voted player of the year. Bayern Munich Ghanaian defender Sammy Kuffour was named along two attackers. Cameroon and Real Mallorca of Spain attacker Eto'o Fills and Lens, Senegalese striker El Hadji Diouf.
Sammy Ossei Kuffour can be referred to as 'Mr Consistency' as he remains at the heart of Bayern Munich defence playing with such great stars like former German Skipper Luther Mathaus, International Swede defender Patrick Anderson and Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
The 24 year-old cut his international teeth at the tender age of 14 when he joined the black starlet for the Italy 1991 U-17 World Cup, he later won bronze with the Olympic team (the Black Meteors) at the Spanish City of Barcelona a year later.
The rock solid defender who was described by coach Duodu as "a born fighter, a model and a leader," made up for his scanty international laurel with a cabinet full of club trophies. He won the 1996 UEFA cup with Bayern and he was almost running away with the UEFA champions' League trophy three years later when Manchester United produced two goals at injury time to win the trophy.
With an uncanny resilience Kuffour came back with Bayern too years later and this time they carted away the trophy at the expense of Spanish side Valencia whom they defeated on penalties. He later led Munich to a Toyota Cup victory in Tokyo over South American Champion Boca Juniors, where he scored the only goal of the match.
Last season, Kuffour won his fourth consecutive bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and is in contention for his fifth. For all his clubside accolades, Sammy Kuffour is yet to match his clubside honours at the international stage. He was sent home for his fifth Nations' Cup in Mali 2002 by coach Osam Duodu for indiscipline.
Inability to win any international trophy added to Ghana's continued absence at the (senior) World Cup coupled with his role as a defender may slip the title out of his hands. Moreover his alleged indiscipline in Mali would not do him much favour.
Cameroon's youth prodigy Samuel Eto'o Fills is another player with a chance to pick the title. Eto'o was discovered in Duola in Cameroon by scouts of Spanish giant Real Madrid where he started his European sojourn.
However, it was at Mallorca, where he was sent on loan, that he exploded with superb striking skills. He came to Ghana 2000 Nations' Cup in the shadows of Patrick Mboma but ended up scoring four goals including a goal at each of the final stages. He also scored Cameroon's second goal against Nigeria in the final.
The 20 year-old who at 17 was not allowed to kick a ball in France '98, was rated as runner-up to his compatriot attacking pair, Patrick Mboma as the African footballer of the year 2000. After they won the 22nd Cup of Nations and Olympic football gold in Sydney, Australia beating Chile and Spain enroute to the gold medal.
Eto'o's goals took real Mallorca to the third position of the Spanish Liga 2001 ahead of Mighty Barcelona and led them to the European champions' League later. His goals also contributed to Cameroon's qualification for Japan Korea World Cup later in the year.
Cameroon is bookmakers' favourite for the 2002 Unity Cup which they could win, with quality contribution from Eto'o.
Senegal has never qualified for the world cup, they were never placed in the Nation Cup and missed the earlier two editions while they qualified for Ghana 2000 just on goal difference after a play-off with Zimbabwe. That was before the hero came on the scene.
The Lions of Teroga were on the verge of missing out again from the World Cup party when the hero turned the magic to the fullest scoring a hatrick, his third for Senegal in a 5-0 win over Namibia in Windhoek that handed them the World Cup ticket and left Egypt and Morocco empty handed. Senegalese and soccer fans would never forget the moment and the man El-Hadji Diouf.
El-Hadji Diouf, 20 year-old and Lens of France striker with five goals in the French League as at last November and 11 goals in 14 games for Senegal surely rates as a striker of repute and one of the best in Africa now. This would be attested to by Philipe Trousser and his Japanese squad as Diouf put a brace of goals past his goal keeper in a 2-0 friendly win in Lens, France last September.
With his exquisite marksmanship Senegal has joined Cameroon and Nigeria as favourites for the Cup of African Nations title. While the Lions have been tipped for glory in the World Cup later in the year added to the honour of being voted the 7th best team in the world by World Soccer Magazine late last year, Senegal has surely arrived among the big boys.
Though his trophy cabinet is bare, Diouf with his skills and potentials has the ability to fill it soon. Lens, his French club are leading the French champion and in line for the title, while Senegal is in line for their first Cup of Nations' medal ever and his performance could nick the player of the year title for him.
[ACONS]
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2002 Weekly Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
