Beyond our reach

Thirty nominees were announced on Sunday for the 2019 Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Player of the Year award, which will celebrate the most distinguished football player from Africa for the year.The list will be shortened to three potential winners for the award that will be presented on 7 January 2020 at Citadel Azure in Hurghada, Egypt. No Namibian footballer has ever made it onto the Player of the Year nominee list.However, former Brave Warriors captain and goalkeeper Ronnie 'Magnet' Kanalelo reached the height of being nominated for the 2001 CAF Save of the Year award.Black Africa coach Paulus Shipanga said Namibia has a relatively small population compared to other African countries, who have players plying their trade all over Europe in the top leagues.Shipanga said that having proper development structures, as well as exporting players at an early age to overseas clubs, could play a role in their future grooming as top stars.“European football clubs have access to more funds to allocate towards the development of talent.“When you couple this with better administrative capacity, superior scouting networks and stable institutional capabilities, it results in better football teams and players.“Which is not to say we don't develop our own talent; we do, we just need better structures,” Shipanga added. Kanalelo said there's no secret to making it onto the prestigious CAF nominee list.“Look at the nominees and ask yourself whether we can compare Namibian players to them, when it comes to consistency and the level of competition. The answer is no. “To be nominated for the awards, a player and club must be doing well in CAF competitions,” he said. The list, which is compiled by a panel of media and technical professionals, includes Egypt's Mohamed Salah.He is joined by his two Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane of Senegal and Guinea's Naby Keita, following their Champions League success.Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, who helped Algeria win the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt, is one of four Algerians nominated for the men's award.Other nominees on the men's shortlist include Uganda and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango, Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen. They are also joined by André Onana (Cameroon/Ajax), Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria/Al-Sadd), Carolus Andriamatsinoro (Madagascar/Al Adalah), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon/ Paris Saint-Germain), Ferjani Sassi (Tunisia/Zamalek), Hakim Ziyech (Morocco/Ajax), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal/Paris Saint-Germain), Ismail Bennacer (Algeria/AC Milan), Jordan Ayew (Ghana/Crystal Palace), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Togo/Al Ain), Mahmoud Hassan (Egypt/ Aston Villa), Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania/Genk), Moussa Marega (Mali/Porto), Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast/Arsenal), Odion Ighalo (Nigeria/Shanghai Shenhua), Percy Tau (South Africa/Club Brugge), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia/ Esperance), Thomas Partey (Ghana/Atletico Madrid), Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria/Leicester City), Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast/ Crystal Palace) and Youcef Belaili (Algeria/Ahli Jeddah).Two football fans Aili Iilonga and Martha Ankambo predicted that Mane will win the award this time around. LIMBA MUPETAMI

Beyond our reach

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-08

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Beyond our reach

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-08

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