PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG CROWNED AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR

The Gabonese international and Borussia Dortmund
striker was announced as the best African footballer in
2015 by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday
Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has won Africa’s
top football honour, beating four-time winner Ivorian Yaya
Toure and Ghana's Andre Ayew to the 2015 Caf African
Footballer of the Year award at a ceremony in Abuja,
Nigeria on Thursday.
The 26-year-old polled 143 points, seven more than
Toure whilst Ayew finished a distant third with 112 points
to claim the prize for the first time, capping a season
where he has put up stellar performances for his
Bundesliga outfit, Borussia Dortmund.
He becomes the first player from the German league to
win the award having finished as runner-up in the 2014
edition staged in Lagos.
The recipient of the award is decided by national team
coaches and technical directors in Africa – with Yaya and
Samuel Eto'o the most-honoured individuals with four
titles each.
Aubameyang was also included on the African finest XI
shortlist that had the trio of Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen,
Kelechi Nwakali and Azubuike Okechukwu on the
substitutes bench.
Osimhen was named Young Player of the Year for his
record-breaking feat at the 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup while
Oghenekaro Etebo was named Promising Player of the
Year.
Tanzanian striker Mbwana Aly Samatta was named
African Player of the Year based in Africa while Gaelle
Enganamouit of Cameroon was named Women's Player of
the Year.
WINNERS IN FULL
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Pierre-Emerick
AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – BASED IN AFRICA -
Mbwana Aly SAMATTA
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Gaelle ENGANAMOUIT
(Cameroon)
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
MOST PROMISING TALENT OF THE YEAR - Etebo Peter
OGHENEKARO (Nigeria)
COACH OF THE YEAR - Herve RENARD (France) – Former
Coach of Cote d’Ivoire
REFEREE OF THE YEAR - Bakary Papa GASSAMA
(Gambia)
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR - Cote d’Ivoire
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR - Cameroon
CLUB OF THE YEAR - TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
AFRICAN LEGEND AWARD
Charles Kumi GYAMFI (Ghana)
Samuel MBAPPE LEPPE (Cameroon)
AFRICA'S FINEST XI
Goalkeeper: Robert Muteba KIDIABA (DR Congo)
Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire), Aymen
ABDENNOUR (Tunisia), Mohamed MEFTAH (Algeria)
Midfielders: Andre AYEW (Ghana), Yaya TOURE (Cote
d’Ivoire), Sadio MANE (Senegal), Yacine BRAHIMI
(Algeria),
Forwards: Mbwana Aly SAMATTA (Tanzania), Pierre-
Emerrick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon), Baghdad BOUNEDJAH
(Algeria)
Substitutes
Djigui DIARRA (Mali)
Azubuike OKECHUKWU (Nigeria)
Kelechi NWAKALI (Nigeria)
Zinedine FERHAT (Algeria)
Adama TRAORE (Mali)
Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
Kermit ERASMUS (South Africa)