j_omoh:

You putting Africa first shows you know little about patriotism which is the rational behind my combination. So I will make it simple for you to understand.

Am a human being before being a child to my parents(family), before being a citizen of my community, before my local government before my state, before my tribe(Yoruba) before my country (Nigeria), before west africa, before Africa.

You putting Africa first goes to show that you will defend the interest of Africa first before that of your immediate family.

That is what they call ROOT. When you talk about patriotism, you talk about defending the interest of where u come from "YOUR ROOT".

If after this you still maintain your stance then that justifies the last statement in my previous comment but this time around you can remove the last word and put in the first element in the "roots line" I created in the second paragraph of this comment.

naija noni:
No goal-post is being moved.In
1997 and 1999,there was no AFCOn.There was also no national tournament,Unlike 2013.
Amunike won it in 1994.There was AFCOn and worldcup that year and he was superb.

omar22:

Actually Yaya plays Attacking, Central, defensive midfielder and Centre half he plays all 4 roles for Ivory Coast

sitoemmanuel: . I hate when people say. Footballers are servin their nation when we all know that they are been paid huge salaries

omar22:

Did Mikel warm the bench during the Europa cup final? yes or no

safarigirl: he plays all 4 roles, and what has SUPERYAYA earned for CIV after running around the pitch like a dog in heat? Bros abeg start trekking to Ivory Coast already, you can build a shrine for your god in Abidjan.

omar22:

Did Mikel warm the bench during the Europa cup final? yes or no

safarigirl: he plays all 4 roles, and what has SUPERYAYA earned for CIV after running around the pitch like a dog in heat? Bros abeg start trekking to Ivory Coast already, you can build a shrine for your god in Abidjan.

Iamzuna: @OP.. Its very obvious that you started watching football just recently. What you should consider first is that the award is for African excellence and not for European excellence. Do you think Yaya winning the award is not an insult to African football also? Well the reason why African football is backwards is because we only want to give these awards to player who flourish in Europe (not even flourish but sometimes its as bad as them just playing good for their club sides) and forget the heroes who make the African game worth watching. I am sure you will say a Zambian player does not deserve the award last year and you will also support that the Egyptian Aboutrika does not deserve to win the award at least twice. Now lets go to other continents, do you think its just players who do well in Europe that wins the best player award from those continents? Africa will want to copy from Europeans and Europeans are just selecting players from their own league (or have you seen the best player in South America compete for the EFOTY (before it was merged with FFOTY)). Now coming to the world cup calender year, why do you think that irrespective of the club performance its only the best at the world cup that wins the award *barring Messi 2010*(though his performance that year was something else). Once a major tournament takes place that year, the winner of the best player award should come from that tournament and i think for once it has to happen in Africa and since Mikel is the only one representing the champion of Africa then he has to win it. Also he does not play for a small team so he just has to win it.
Concerning the bench warmer argument, i think you guys have to start watching football all over again and understand that there is a difference between team rotation and bench warming. How can you argue that Mikel is a bench warmer when he is obviously getting much more playing time than Essien. Dont forget that there are other players in Chelsea that will leave this January and yet Mikel remains in the coach's plan and you call him a bench warmer.... Mourinho rotates his players and that is the reason why Mikel has had to sometimes sit on the bench and for your information Mikel is not a bench warmer and he has a better and a more successful last season than Yaya (generally not individually) so he has a claim for that award not for his performance in club (europe) but for his performance in the same AFRICAN football. For me all three players dont deserve to win the award as Eyeama or Petriopa should have won clearly (the later being the best player of the tournament).

Gguy4real: i am a fool that opened this thread na mum eda good for nothing bad belle how u go dey piss something like that wey me myself no say mikel nor dey try and he always give 100% for his dearest country waiting yaya do for is country and waiting he win pass mikel in club level and u dey there the talk rubbish for that. I am a stinking incomprehensible smelling mouth fool

heykims: It is January and very soon , the African footballer of the year 2013 will be named in Lagos Nigeria precisely on the 9th of January. The player to be crowned with this feat should however be very much evaluated and deemed fit to earn this prestigious honour because his personality on the field of play either in the national team or club will go a long way in speaking for African football.

CAF released the final 10-man shortlist of the contenders of this prestigious award last year and interestingly, four Nigerian players made the list. Many Nigerians and even Africans have however tipped John Obi Mikel as the possible winner evident from the fact that he won the Nations cup last year, Europa cup in Europe, participated in d Confederations cup and so on.

MY VIEW
As a Nigerian and a proud African, I see it as not just underscoring but extremely insulting to African football if a player like Mikel wins the award. How can a mere bench warmer in Europe be crowned the African footballer of the year just by virtue of the fact that his national team wins a title or his club wins the European league?

A deserving footballer of the hear should be such that is very resourceful both at home and in clubs. A reigning footballer of the year should at least even make the top three best player in his club even if he doesn't get a spot in the FIFA ranking.

Mikel Obi surely can't make the best ten in Chelsea's team despite being a senior player. I'm of the view that its better not to name anyone the footballer of the year than titling a bench warmer in Europe, what a mock, an insult I can't tolerate as an African.

Nigerians should be please stop being sentimental, selfish and self centred and canvass for a better representative for African football.

Left to me, if at all a Nigerian merits the award, it is Vincent Enyeama, the Nigeria's assistant skipper at goal but Cote d'Ivoire's Yaya Toure surely represents Africa better.

What's your view?

omar22:

He didnt have any injury, Rafa Benithez said Ramires has the speed to cope with Benfica's Namanja Matic in the midfield, it was John Terry and Hazard that were injured.

Mccullum: currently Mikel is the most successful player in the continent of Africa within the duration of this award of 2014. with undisputable facts Mikel worth it, if destiny favour him, so stop looking for conspirators like you on internet, bad belle, useless and hopeless fellow, it is you that is disgrace to NIGERIA and AFRICA.

slimthugchimee: My view is HOW DID THAT CHANGE THE PRICE OF GARRI FOR MARKET

Philistine: Hello Guys, I am a chelsea Fan,so i do not have any grudge against mikel. But let's call a spade a spade,it will be an insult on africa if a player in the calibre of mikel obi wins the AFOY award,he simply does not deserve the award,Enyeama should have been nominated instead of mikel. Nigerians pls stop been sentimental.

heykims:
Chief abeg stop trying to convince itself. Mikel can never make the best 11 in dt team at least as at ds moment. A deserving player for d title shouldn't just make d first team but also d one of d top players in d team either at home or in his club.
If at all a Nigerian deserves d award, it is Enyeama nd not a Chelsea's Mikel.

omar22:

Amunike was fantastic for Zamalek and he joined Lisbon that year, Eyimba won the African Champions League why didnt a winner come from that competition

Mccullum: Do u remember when CAF favour Eto at expence of jay jay Okocha while our own naija dribbler was performing well even it was jay jay that sent Cameroon out of 2004 ACN, what of Canavaro, what of when ZZ when he won world best for 2nd time while Luise Figo was more better than him in view of some soccer fans, what Drogbe is doing in final nominees of CAF award in this year, don't u observe that? why Mikel you are nagging on his nomination status, don't you understand the difference between success and hard work? currently Mikel is the most successful player in the continent of Africa within the duration of this award of 2014. with undisputable facts Mikel worth it, if destiny favour him, so stop looking for conspirators like you on internet, bad belle, useless and hopeless fellow, it is you that is disgrace to NIGERIA and AFRICA.