CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Duro Ikhazuagbe
The 2023 CAF Awards will hold today at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco with Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen in the running for the CAF Africa Player of the Year.
Also in the running for other Honours include; Asisat Oshoala and Chiamaka Nnadozie who are running for the women’s best player and the Best Goalkeeper awards respectively.
The year 2023 will be more memorable for Osimhen if he succeeds in scooping the CAF Best Player award to join the likes of great Nigerian legends like Rashidi Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba and Emmanuel Amuneke who were previously Africa’s best.
Kanu was the last Nigeria star to win the CAF Player of the Year Award in 1999.
Osimhen, was penultimate Monday night crowned Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) 2022/23 Player of the Year at the Gran Gala del Calcio which held in Milan.
The 24-year-old Super Eagles forward was deservedly selected after scoring 26 goals in the Italian topflight that earned Napoli their first Scudetto in over three decades.
Meanwhile, seven Nigerian legends expected at the ceremony include; Austin Jay Jay Okocha, who inspite of his stellar performances, agonisingly missed out in 1998 and 2003.
Also invited is Mikel Obi who also missed out in 2013, 10 years after that of Okocha.
He will be joined by another Nigerian legend, Amuneke, winner of the award in 1994.
Other Nigerian legends expected to grace this year’s CAF Awards are: Mercy Akide, Onome Ebi, Perpetua Nkwocha and Precious Dede.
Among the prestigious guests from other countries who have confirmed their presence are football legends, music and art celebrities and prestigious names from other sporting disciplines, including Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Abedi Pele (Ghana), El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Jonathan Pitroipa (Burkina Faso), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt), and Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), among others.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Everton Claim Third Consecutive Win, See Off Chelsea
Everton claimed three consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since 2021 as they saw off Chelsea 2-0 at Goodison Park.
Abdoulaye Doucoure and substitute Lewis Dobbin both fired home first-time efforts in the second half as Sean Dyche’s side moved four points clear of the relegation zone.
It was a tight and tense first half with Jordan Pickford making decent saves to deny Enzo Fernandez’s rasping shot and Cole Palmer’s dipping drive from range.
Jack Harrison’s acrobatic volley which flew narrowly wide was Everton’s most presentable opportunity in the opening period and Dwight McNeil forced visiting goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into an excellent stop at the start of the second half.
Chelsea’s attacks were breaking down in the final third and they were punished on the break as Doucoure smashed in and Dobbin smacked home in stoppage time for the in-form Toffees.
The loss is Chelsea’s seventh in the league under Mauricio Pochettino this season, dropping them two places to 12th in the table.
RESULTS
Premier League
Everton 2-0 Chelsea
Fulham 5-0 West Ham
Luton 1-2 Man City
Tottenham 4-1 Newcastle
La Liga
Atletico 2-1 Almeria
Granada 0-1 Athletic
Cadiz 1-1 Osasuna
Barcelona 2-4 Girona
NPFL
Gombe 2-0 Heartland
Akwa Utd 1-0 Lobi
Bayelsa 2-0 Rangers
B’Insurance1-0 Sunshine
Enyimba 2-1 Abia War
Tornadoes 2-3 Plateau
Remo 2-0 Kwara Utd
Shooting 1-1 Katsina
