Eto’o, Drogba in hunt for CAF awards

LAGOS – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named two-time winner Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon and Didier Drogba of the Cote d’Ivoire among five top nominees for this year’s African Footballer of the Year.

Alongside the Barcelona and Chelsea strikers are three other players plying their trade in Europe: Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor of Monaco, Moroccan Marouane Chamakh who plays for Bordeaux, and Chelsea’s Ghanian midfielder Michael Essien. The shortlist was compiled by the CAF media and technical committees and will be further pruned to three players on November 19 with all 53 CAF member nations casting their votes for the nominees, said CAF spokesman Suleiman Habuba.Barcelona striker Eto’o has won the last two editions of the awards, in 2003 and 2004.Nominees for the other award categories including the Young Player award and Coach of the Year will be announced later in the year.The annual awards will for the first time take place in the Nigerian capital Abuja on January 9.-Nampa-AFPThe shortlist was compiled by the CAF media and technical committees and will be further pruned to three players on November 19 with all 53 CAF member nations casting their votes for the nominees, said CAF spokesman Suleiman Habuba.Barcelona striker Eto’o has won the last two editions of the awards, in 2003 and 2004.Nominees for the other award categories including the Young Player award and Coach of the Year will be announced later in the year.The annual awards will for the first time take place in the Nigerian capital Abuja on January 9.-Nampa-AFP