7 -13 December 2000
Issue No.511
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 7 -13 December 2000 Issue No.511 |
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The best of Africa
By Nashwa Abdel-TawabCameroon striker Patrick Mboma capped an outstanding year by being named the African Footballer of 2000.
Mboma, the 30-year-old forward for Italian club Parma, finished ahead of three compatriots in an unprecedented sweep for the central African country in the annual poll organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Mboma collected 123 votes. Laurent Etame Mayer, Samuel Eto'o and Geremi Fotso Njitap filled the next three places in the vote, with last year's winner Nwankwo Kanu of Nigeria fifth. Egypt's Hossam Hassan ranked seventh with 17 votes and compatriot Hani Ramzi, who plays for Germany's Werder Bremen, came in ninth. Ramzi tied with Shaun Bartlett of South Africa with 10 votes each.
Cameroon won the African Nations Cup finals in Nigeria earlier this year, beating the hosts in the final on a penalty shoot-out. In September their under-23 side were Olympic gold medallists in Sydney.
Mboma was one of the over-age players in the Olympic side, scoring four goals in the tournament. His goal-scoring exploits were key to Cameroon's Nations Cup triumph but the giant forward saved his most dramatic strike for later in the year, scoring with a bicycle kick as Cameroon held world champions France to a 1-1 draw in a friendly international in Paris in October.
Mboma is the fifth Cameroonian to win the award in the 30 years of the poll and the first since Roger Milla in 1990. His selection was overwhelming with 23 of the 25 members of the CAF press and technical committees who voted in the poll placing him first on their ballot. The other two had him in second place, officials said.
Mboma, who was born in Douala, has lived in France since his infancy, and signed first for Paris St Germain. But he was never able to hold down a regular first team place and spent time on loan at Chateauroux and FC Metz before moving to Japan.
One of the players who kept Mboma out of the team at PSG was twice African Footballer of the Year George Weah of Liberia.
In the J-League, Mboma blossomed with Gamba Osaka and scored 25 goals in two seasons, also winning the MVP award.
He made his debut for Cameroon in a friendly against Liberia on 24 December 1995 but did not win a regular place until almost a year later, scoring in his second appearance against Togo in a World Cup qualifier in Lomé in November 1996.
Mboma played at the last two Nations Cup finals with Cameroon and also in the 1998 World Cup finals in France, where he scored a goal against Chile.
After the World Cup finals, Mboma moved to Cagliari in Italy's Serie A, playing two seasons with the Sardinian side before they were relegated in May. In the off-season he was bought by Parma, making his debut on return from the Olympic Games.
Second-placed Etame Mayer moved to Arsenal in the European summer from Real Mallorca in Spain. Like Mboma, Etame Mayer was born in Cameroon but has lived almost all his life in Europe.
The voting is conducted among members of CAF's press and technical committees.
African Footballer of the Year roll-call:
1970: Salif Keita (St Etienne-Mali)
1971: Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko-Ghana)
1972: Cherif Souleymane (Hafia-Guinea)
1973: Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe-Zaire)
1974: Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville-Congo)
1975: Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia-Morocco)
1976: Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde-Cameroon)
1977: Tarak Dhiab (Esperance-Tunisia)
1978: Karim Abdul-Razak (Asante Kotoko-Ghana)
1979: Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde-Cameroon)
1980: Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde-Cameroon)
1981: Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara-Algeria)
1982: Thomas Nkono (Espanol-Cameroon)
1983: Mahmoud El-Khatib (Ahli-Egypt)
1984: Theophile Abega (Toulouse-Cameroon)
1985: Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces-Morocco)
1986: Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca-Morocco)
1987: Rabah Madjer (FC Porto-Algeria)
1988: Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges-Zambia)
1989: George Weah (Monaco-Liberia)
1990: Roger Milla (St Denis-Cameroon)
1991: Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille-Ghana)
1992: Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille-Ghana)
1993: Abedi Pele Ayew (Lyon-Ghana)
1994: George Weah (Paris St Germain-Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon-Nigeria)
1995: George Weah (AC Milan-Liberia)
1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan-Nigeria)
1997: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco-Nigeria)
1998: Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna-Morocco)
1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal-Nigeria)
2000: Patrick Mboma (Parma-Cameroon)
( Compiled from wire services )
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