Gyan up for African Footballer of Year gong
Reuters - Saturday 04 December 2010, 12:55
CAIRO - Asamoah Gyan, whose goals helped
fire Ghana to the World Cup quarter-finals but then missed a
last-gasp penalty to seal a semi-final spot, has been named on a
shortlist for the 2010 African Footballer of the Year Award.
The striker, who made a big-money move to Premier League
side Sunderland after the World Cup in South Africa, was named
on the shortlist alongside Chelsea's Ivorian duo Didier Drogba
and Salomon Kalou and Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Inter Milan.
Malian international midfielder Seydou Keita, who plays for
Barcelona, completes the five-man list which will be cut to
three finalists on December 11, the Confederation of African
Football said in a statement on Saturday. The winner will be
named in Cairo on December 20.
Coaches and captains of Africa's 53 national teams vote for
the award.
Drogba narrowly beat Eto'o to the 2009 award but the Inter
Milan forward is favourite to win this year's accolade having
won the UEFA Champions League and Serie A title, while also
setting a new goal scoring record in captaining Cameroon at the
African Nations Cup finals in Angola.
Ghana's Gyan could command a strong sympathy vote after his
dramatic hero and villain role at the World Cup. He was also the
catalyst behind Ghana's unexpected progress to the Nations Cup
final in January.