Pappoe: Gyan deserves best African player awards

Published on: 16 December 2010

Ghana FA vice president Fred Pappoe says striker Asamoah Gyan deserves to win the 2010 CAF African Player of the Year and 2010 BBC African Footballer of the Year awards.

Pappoe, who has been in charge of the management of the Black Stars, is backing the Sunderland attacker to pick both awards because of his performances this year.

Gyan is facing bigger names Chelsea’s Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and Cameroon and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto’o for the two coveted gongs.

Pappoe insists Eto’o and Drogba only excelled for their clubs and they failed to glitter while playing for their countries this year.

“If you compare the records of all the players vying for the award you will see that Gyan stands tall,” the Ghana FA vice president said.

“In the year 2010, Drogba and Eto’o only played well for their clubs in Europe but Gyan did well on both fronts.

“Drogba and Eto’o excellent for their clubs this year and so was Gyan with his goals for Rennes and Sunderland.

“At the African Cup of Nations, Gyan scored three of the four goals that took that young Ghana team to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in January.

“Drogba and Eto’o were there in the tournament in Angola and even though they had big names in their teams they failed to make any progress.

“Most importantly at the first World Cup in Africa, it was Gyan who carried the whole on Africa on his back when Drogba and Eto’o failed to shine.

“This is why Gyan deserves to be given both awards because on all fronts he ticks all the boxes and any fair minded person will agree with me.”

The BBC will unveil the winner for their award on Friday while CAF’s winner will be known on Monday night at an event in Cairo.

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