Abuja gets set for Glo-CAF Awards

Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city is warming up to host the African football community at the Silver Jubilee edition of the CAF Awards, the organisers have told www.extrasportsnigeria.com. The event will be held on Thursday, January 5, 2017, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Confederation of African Football announced the choice of Abuja as the host city in October and sponsor of the event, Globacom, has assured football fans that the company, in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football, will stage a memorable night. Abuja is hosting the awards for the third time since Globacom took over the sponsorship in 2005.

The company in a press statement in Lagos on Tuesday said, “The Glo-CAF Awards 2016 will parade top football celebrities as well as top government officials from Nigeria, the African continent and the rest of the world.”

The event is also expected to congregate African football legends, including the new African Footballer of the Year and winners in 12 other categories. The categories are the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa), National Team of the Year, Club of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

The remaining categories are Women’s National Team of the Year, Women’s Footballer of the Year, Most Promising Talent, Referee of the Year, Legend of the year, Fair Play Award, Platinum Award – Single nominee, and Africa Finest XI.

Borrussia Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is the current African champion, while Mbwana Ally Samatta of Tanzania is the African Player of the Year, Based in Africa.

The list of top five contenders for the 2016 African Footballer of the Year and five nominees for Africa Footballer of the Year (Africa-based) were released recently the Confederation of African Football.

The inaugural edition of Glo-CAF Awards was hosted by Abuja in 2005, followed by Accra, Ghana, in 2006. Lome, Togo, hosted the 2007 edition, while the event was held in Lagos, Nigeria, for the first time in 2008 before it moved back to Accra in 2009. Cairo, the capital of Egypt hosted the 2010 edition.

Accra, Ghana hosted the event between 2011 and 2012, while the 2013 and 2014 editions were held in Lagos. Abuja hosted the 2015 edition and will also host the 2016 edition, back to back