6 January 2009
Lagos — Organisers of Glo-CAF Awards, the annual African Footballer of the Year awards, have announced Lagos, as the new venue for the 2008 edition of the awards, which will now hold February 10. The award, which seeks to reward excellence in African football, on and off the field, is sponsored by telecommunications company, Globacom Limited.
Okon Iyanam, Globacom's Executive Director; Marketing Communication, said in a statement yesterday that the decision to bring the event to Lagos was made to streamline the event with the programmes of the 38th Annual Delegates Congress of the continental soccer body.
Iyanam said of the sudden change: "The 2008 Glo-CAF Awards earlier scheduled for January 23 in Dakar Senegal will now hold on February 10 in Lagos, Nigeria. The changes have been made to enrich the programmes of the 38th CAF Delegates Conference, which holds in Nigeria from February 9 to 12.
He said though Globacom had commenced serious arrangements for a successful hosting of the prestigious awards in the French speaking West African city of Dakar, the telecommunications giant had to consider a change in venue in view of the need to celebrate the CAF Congress, which was coming to Nigeria for the first time in over ten years.
"Globacom and CAF have enjoyed a very robust and positive partnership for the promotion and development of African football since 2005 and this mutual understanding informed our disposition to a change of venue despite the huge commitment in finance, personnel and time made towards the hosting of the event in Dakar."
Iyanam added: "This is in line with our policy to continuously seek opportunities with relevant stake-holders to take African football at all times to greater heights".
The frontline nominees for the 2008 Glo-CAF Awards are Adebayor Emmanuel (Togo), Aboutrika Mohamed (Egypt), Amr Zaki (Egypt) Didier Drogba (Cote d'Ivoire) and Michael Essien (Ghana ). The top three nominees as voted by Coaches of the National Associations of CAF will be announced next week.
Mali's Frederick Kanoute won the 2007 awards on the heels of Didier Drogba (2006) and Samuel Eto'O Fils (2003-2005).
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