The Guinea captain and former Liverpool star and the coach of the Ivory Coast national team have spoken out about their choices for the Caf Player of the Year award.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will crown the continent’s best player at the Caf Awards which will be held this evening at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech. Interestingly, this year’s award will see the crowning of a new champion, as last year’s winner Victor Osimhen and Egyptian icon Mohamed Salah failed to make the final shortlist.
Ahead of the announcement, Guinea captain Naby Keita expressed his support for compatriot Serhou Guirassy, backing him to win the prestigious award, while acknowledging the impressive effort of former Leipzig teammate Ademola Lookman.
“It’s hard for me. We are all rooting for Guirassy and I really want him to take home this award. But the best was Lookman: he’s my man. We played together when I was in Leipzig“, ha declared Keita to Flashscore.comemphasizing his patriotism, but also his friendship.
Despite receiving several nominations for the Caf African Player of the Year award during his England career, the Champions League winner has never managed to capture the prestigious accolade.
However, he has no regrets and declares: “There is nothing to be regretful about. I am happy to have been nominated for this prestigious award, and although I would have liked to win, it didn’t happen.”
“You have to give credit to the winners in these cases too. I am proud of what I have achieved in football and I remain focused on achieving even more.”
Likewise, Fae emerged believes the Nigerian and Atalanta player is deserving of the Caf African Player of the Year award but hopes his player Simon Adingra, who plays for Brighton, emerges as the winner.
“I would like Adingra to win, because it would be a personal pleasure, but Lookman also deserves the prize”, the coach of the Ivory Coast national team told Flashscore.com.
“He had an outstanding performance during the Afcon, scoring goals, and he had a fantastic season with Atalanta. His three goals in the Europa League final were particularly impressive. I really believe he deserves to win the award.”
Fae highlights Adingra’s impressive performances, recognizing the important role the winger has played for his club and country throughout the year.
“Adingra is a fantastic player, it’s like he was my son. He’s not only talented, but he’s also a great person. He’s someone who can make a difference at any moment and it’s a pleasure to have him in the team.”
“His contribution is enormous and he is predestined. We hope he continues to be fit to help us in the future.”
Fae is thrilled with his nomination in the Male Coach of the Year category: “I feel very happy because I started the Africa Cup of Nations as an assistant coach,” he added.
“We lost against Nigeria, we came close to elimination, but then we turned the situation around by defeating Senegal, Mali and finally Nigeria in the final to win the competition.”
“It has been an emotional journey for me as a young coach and I am very proud of what we have accomplished this year.”
Fae’s journey to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been nothing short of extraordinary. Initially assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset, he moved on to manage the Ivory Coast national team after his resignation at the end of the group stage.
Under Fae’s leadership, the Elephants experienced an incredible turnaround, going on to win the trophy. His leadership during a difficult period earned him widespread recognition and contributed to his nomination.
