EXCLUSIVE: Gyan blasts CAF for African Player award exclusion, believes selection process is unfair
By Ameenu Shardow
Follow on Twitter @alooameenu
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has slammed CAF for excluding him from the final shortlist for the 2014 African Player of the Year award – insisting there is no fairness in the process.
The 29-year-old shockingly failed to make the final three-man cut for the prestigious award which will be given out on January 8 in Lagos.
Instead, reigning African Player of the Year Yaya Toure is in the hunt to win his fourth successive gong as he goes against Gabon striker Pierre Emerick Aubamayeng and Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
Gyan was unable to garner enough votes from the 53 coaches and technical directors on the continent to make the final shortlist despite his record breaking year in 2014.
He also emerged as the Best Foreign Player in Asia having finish the AFC Champions League campaign as the top scorer with 12 goals with Al Ain.
Gyan was also amongst the leading scorer’s throughout the qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
The former Sunderland man believes he has done more than enough to clinch the award.
“I think the fans and everybody on the continent knows what I did in 2014,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com in his first interview of 2015.
“Talking about my achievements at the World Cup, talking about the qualifiers to the World Cup, talking about club level and the Asian Champions League I think everything went well for me and I was able to prove myself.
“What I want to ask CAF is that what do I do or what does a player have to do to win the award?
“Because in the past we all know some players who deserved it but didn’t get it.
“For me I don’t think it is fair.”
Gyan believes the process is skewed in favour of African players plying their trade with big European sides and not necessarily adjudging the best from individual achievements within the specified period.
“What I call it is African Best Players playing in top teams in Europe.” He added.
“I always talk about [Mohammed] Aboutrika. Aboutrika when he was in his prime, he did everything for Egypt – club level, national team level –he comes to African Cups, he wins it but he didn’t get it.
“I always make an example with that guy and I dint think it’s not fair because he played in Africa.
“I was denied in 2010 which I think I should have won it and once again it has happened again.
“With all due respect to Roger Milla – he is a legend- if he set a record in 1990 and he was able to win African Footballer of the Year in that year and then a player comes and breaks the record that should be automatic.
“An African country went to the World Cup, and an African player broke a record.
“If you mention all-time leading African scorer in the history of the World Cup then it is going to be me.
“So If I represent Africa and then I do other things right and I don’t get it then the question I want to ask is that what else can I do to win it?
“Or I have to play at a bigger club in Europe? I think that is the only chance I have got to win it.”
Readers Comment
-
abongo
9 years ago
i wonder why these francophones intend to achieve with all these cheats...Gyan...u still the man...and the whole of AFRICA AND THE WORLD know that..BRING THE TROUPHY BACK HOME FOR US...!!!
-
fisko
9 years ago
Gyan u don't stand a chance so far as Yaya Toure is present. Yaya is known world wide, and playing for one of the biggest club in the world. Gyan if u want to be the African best, you should play for a bigger club in Europe, not with cheap club like Al Alin. Let the whole world see you. It's not the matter of scoring goals. Yaya does everything.
-
Hassan Sass
9 years ago
What Asamoah is talking is true,they hate Ghanaian to win the best player..because Asamoah breaks Roger mills world cup record at the same time he win league for his league for his team. It is only Europe is abroad,those who were choosing which cups they win for their league. Issah Ayatu they have to sack him. It is physically robbed.
-
Sayed
9 years ago
In 2008 abu trika totally deserved it but .. what can we do
-
Stranger Danger
9 years ago
Gyan is the real CAF for African Player of 2014
-
Cookes
9 years ago
Gyan at the very least deserves to be a finalist. It is mind boggling that he was overlooked.
-
Edward, Maryland
9 years ago
I keep telling you guys, it is a franciphone syndicate. Like everything in Africa, it starts nicely and then corruption sets in. Corruption is in the DNA of the African, and you can't change that. There are more francophone countries than Anglophone countries, and for that matter, more francophone coaches to vote for francophone representatives. They don't vote on merit. They think it is a francophone versus anglophone competition. Tell me, what has that Aubemeyang guy from Gabon achieved this year? Nothing, but he gets the nod over Gyan. Can you believe that?
-
mukmin
9 years ago
You cannot win it because you are not from cameroun or ivory coast. Switch your nationality and learn french and they will hand it to you
-
sterlingz
9 years ago
u hit the nail right there...players like..Aboutrika..Okcha....were denied because they either played in Africa or for small clubs . I rem. in 2008 togo didnt qualify for the nations cup but Adebayor was given the tittle because he scored over 25 ,goals for Asenals....fire burn CAF and . all the francophone sycophants..
-
Randy
9 years ago
Gyan deserved to be in the shortlist provided...what did yaya toure and the others achieve last year? Gyan was a record breaker and a record setter last year and deserved not to have only made it in the shortlist but also won this title which he has been denied on more than one occasion...big ups Gyan keep your moral going to we Ghanaians we are always aware of your great achievements.
-
PITO
9 years ago
Ofcourse the SHOCK of CAF sidestepping Asamoah Gyan made me SPEECHLESS! when the news broke! Even CHRISTOPHER KATONGO won it just by winning Afcon with his OTHER TEAM MATES. The guy was playing for a CHINESE club at the time. ISSA HAYATOU hates GHANA. HE IS VENGEFUL!!
-
awass
9 years ago
str_repeat('*',strlen('fuck')) all haters.....azza still sizeless
-
trotro
9 years ago
Gyan u deserved what u won in the middle eastern level. Now we r talking about heavy weight level. Ad if you r. Complaining an accra olympics is not nominated for world beaf player. It is the level of the competition not the amount of goals u score dummies.
-
Alacrity
9 years ago
It is mind-boggling...CAF is a pain in the neck. Aubemayang, Vincent Enyema shortlisted over Asamoah Gyan? What a joke!
Comments
This article has 14 comment(s) , give your comment