CAF ignores Malawian players
In a vote of no confidence, none of Malawi footballers has made the 2014 African Player of the Year and The African Player of the Year (based in Africa) combined 45-member short-list.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released on Thursday the list that includes 25 best African players based abroad and 20 picked from the continent. The best player in each category will be unveiled on January 8 2015 in Nigeria.
“The winners of the two categories will be decided by votes from the head coaches/technical directors of the national associations affiliated to CAF,” wrote www.cafonline.com.
It means coach Young Chimodzi will vote for the best in each category despite that none of his stars, including his captain Joseph Kamwendo of TP Mazembe appear on the list. Malawi has estimated 350 footballers with 26 based outside the country.
Ivorian Yaya Toure [of Manchester City], who has also been nominated, is the reigning Africa Player of the Year whereas Egyptian Muhamad Aboutreika was voted the finest among the Africa-based crop.
Local clubs’ failure to compete in CAF competitions added to Flames’ struggles on the psyche of continental football and seems to have cost Malawian players such recognition which countries such as Ethiopia, Mali [Seydou Keita], who the Flames face this month, have made it.
Slain Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa’s name made the short-list that includes Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan and Geoffrey Massa, who is Atusaye Nyondo’s Ugandan team mate at University of Pretoria.
The late Cliffton Msiya was among a few Malawian players CAF recognised a decade ago as being among the biggest talents on the continent.
