The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Friday announced that the 2016 Glo-CAF awards gala will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Nigeria’s capital city will be hosting the award for the second year running and third time overall after hosting the inaugural edition in 2005 and the 2015 Awards that held in January this year.
In a statement on its website, Caf announced a total of 17 categories under which individuals who have distinguished themselves in the African game will be honoured.
“The 2016 Glo-CAF Awards will be held in the city of Abuja, Nigeria and the new African Footballer of the Year, the greatest African football legends and 15 winners in other categories will be unveiled during the Gala night,” the statement read.
The reigning African footballer of the Year is Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while TP Mazembe and Tanzania striker Mbwana Ally Samatta currently holds the African Player of the Year Based in Africa.
The last Nigerian to take home the top football prize on the continent is two-time winner Nwankwo Kanu after his feat in 1999, with the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama only making the podium.
This year, however, a number of Nigerian stars are looking good for the honour, with youngsters Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho of Arsenal and Manchester City respectively leading the hunt.
Both England-based players have been nominated for the prestigious Golden Ball award, and in light of their blistering start to the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, there’s no betting against either of them.
Other players likely to make the shortlist are Aubameyang, Liverpool-Senegal striker Saido Mane, and Leicester-Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez.
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