MUMBAI: Algeria and F.C. Porto player Yacine Brahimi is the winner of this year’s BBC African Footballer of the Year award. He is the first Algerian player to win in the competition’s 23 year history.
Brahimi emerged as the most popular player in a competitive shortlist that included Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon and Borussia Dortmund), Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria and Lille OSC), Gervinho (Ivory Coast and Roma) and 2013 winner Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast and Manchester City).
This year’s BBC African Footballer of the Year was the most successful competition to date since the award first launched in 1992 as BBC African Sports Star of the Year. Hundreds of thousands of football fans voted in the 2014 competition from around the world.
The BBC’s Peter Okwoche presented Brahimi with his trophy today, Monday 1 December, during a global simulcast across radio and television. The results were revealed on the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, which aired from 1730 GMT on BBC World Service and BBC World News.
Yacine Brahimi says: “It is a huge honour for me to receive this wonderful trophy. I owe it to my country, Algeria; and to all the people who voted for me. It is also a trophy for the whole of Africa, because it rewards an African player”.
“This trophy is going to give me more strength, more desire to work, to get better and to learn, so that I can keep having great performances. Both the African Cup of Nations and the Champions League are coming, as well as the Portuguese League. These are big opportunities for me. I hope I will be able to achieve big things this year both with my national team and my club”.
“I am sharing this trophy with my family, with all the African countries and with all the Algerians who have always supported me”.
Vera Kwakofi, Current Affairs Editor, BBC Africa says: “Yacine Brahimi has had an incredible year representing Algeria and F.C. Porto. We are excited that his talent has been recognised and endorsed by fans of African football from around the world who have voted him their BBC African Footballer of the Year. The competition’s popularity continues to grow and this year we saw a record number of votes from BBC audiences globally. This annual award is a testament to the BBC’s continued support for African football.”
Having played for the French national youth teams, Brahimi was a late addition to Algeria after switching nationalities in 2013. He showed maturity and leadership at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where Algeria qualified from the group stages for the first time in their World Cup history. Since then he has helped to secure his country’s qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations. He has also blossomed in his club career at Porto showing panache in midfield and impressive form in front of goal.
Previous winners of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award include: Yaya Touré (2013), Christopher Katongo (2012), André Ayew (2011) and AsamoahGyan (2010).
