After the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the 38 man shortlist for the best player in Africa, their were a number of players, we noticed, were conspicuously missing from the list.
A few players who have been pulling their weight and delivering the goods for their various clubs across Europe and the US were not on the list.
Lets take a look of some of these players who have had a very good year but were not recognized.
- Odion Ighalo
Aston Villa striker, Rudy Gestede, made the shortlist after scoring 20 goals in the Championship last season, before netting three in eight matches, so far in the Premier League this term. However, Nigeria forward, Ighalo bettered these numbers! The Super Eagle also found the net 20 times last season, and has hit the ground running in his first Premier League campaign—scoring five in eight for new boys Watford. By the end of February, the Nigerian had bagged more league goals than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
2. Wilfried Bony
The Ivorian forward may have struggled at Manchester City since moving to the Etihad Stadium from Swansea City at the beginning of the year, but his goal-scoring record and win ratio are certainly better than some of the shortlisted players. Similarly, Bony was influential at the Cup of Nations as Ivory Coast lifted the title. His individual performance (and brace) against Algeria was one of the best performances of the tournament.
3. Jeffrey Schlupp
After a tricky first half to their first season back in the Premier League, Jeffrey Schlupp and his Leicester City teammates truly stepped up to the mark under the guidance of Nigel Pearson, after the turn of the year. The Foxes completed a great escape that had looked beyond them, and the Ghanaian ended the campaign with three goals and two assists. He caught Arsenal’s interest during the summer, and has started this season strongly after signing a new deal at the King Power Stadium.
4. Sofiane Boufal
Some players just possess magic in their boots. At only 22, Boufal still has a few years ahead of him until he reaches his peak, hopefully, but he is already one of the most exciting African players to watch. With obscene balance and superb agility, he is Ligue 1’s most successful dribbler so far this season. Similarly, he has an end product, and has averaged 3.6 key passes per game so far this season. It won’t be long until the Moroccan finds himself shortlisted among Africa’s finest.
5. Tefu Mashamaite
The centre-back was the outstanding individual in the PSL last season. While he helped Kaizer Chiefs get the domestic title, he also picked up a series of awards at the campaign’s end. Mashamaite was named the 2014-15 Footballer of the Year and also received the Player’s Player of the Season award and the Defender of the Season award. It’s no overstatement to assume that Bafana Bafana would have given a better account of themselves at the 2015 Afcon, had Mashamaite been fit.
6. Abdul Rahman Baba
There aren’t too many players who have enjoyed a year as flawless as Abdul Rahman Baba. The left-back emerged as a Ghana international during the 2015 Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, but looked like a seasoned campaigner at the tournament itself and was unfortunate to miss out on both the team of the tournament and a winner’s medal. After helping Augsburg to their best-ever Bundesliga season, and the Europa League, he earned a high-profile move to Chelsea.
7. Obafemi Martins
This isn’t the first time that Nigeria forward Obafemi Martins has been somewhat unjustly overlooked for the CAF award. His international career may have fallen by the wayside, but the 30-year-old continues to demonstrate his sublime poaching skills in Major League Soccer. He’s scored 14 in 19 so far this season and there are many fans who would love to see him back in the national side.
8. Kei Kamara
Former Norwich City and Middlesbrough striker Kei Kamara doesn’t enjoy the status of some of the other stars in Major League Soccer, but for his contribution, the Sierra Leone international deserves acknowledgement. He has demonstrated awesome consistency in 2015, scoring 22 goals and contributing six assists in 31 appearances for Columbus Crew.
