BBC Footballer of the Year award: More excitement trails Enyeama’s nomination

Enyeama

It is no longer news that Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, is among the five players nominated for the BBC African Footballer of Year for 2014 as revealed by the organisers of the award on Monday. The big news is that Enyeama’s nomination has continued to excite millions of Nigerians within and outside our shores.

The Nigeria captain is the only goalkeeper in the list as title holder Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast gets his sixth consecutive nomination for the award.

Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, Algeria forward Yacine Brahimi of FC Porto, and Ivory Coast’s Gervinho of AS Roma make up the list.

Four of the nominees played at the World Cup in Brazil, where Enyeama and Brahimi played in the last 16 of the tournament with Nigeria and Algeria respectively.

Enyeama, 32, went into the event off the back of an outstanding campaign for French club Lille – he kept 21 clean sheets for them last season.

In Spain, forward Brahimi’s efforts for Granada led to him being named best African player in the country last term and earning a move to Porto.

Toure helped Manchester City to their second Premier League title in three years and also won the Capital One Cup, Gervinho has impressed in Italy since leaving Arsenal, scoring 10 goals in 39 games for the Serie A side.

Although striker Aubameyang did not play at the World Cup in Brazil, he makes the shortlist for the second year in a row based on his impressive club form.

BBC said the winner will be decided by fans of African football, who have until November 24 to vote for their choice online or through SMS.

The winner will be announced on December 1 at a very colourful ceremony.