Former Manchester Metropolis midfielder, Yaya Touré, has confessed that Nigerian legend Mikel Obi ought to have gained the 2013 CAF African Player of the Year award.
Each gamers had been high midfielders of their time and gained the English Premier League with their golf equipment — Touré with Manchester Metropolis and Mikel with Chelsea.
Touré made historical past by profitable the CAF Player of the Year 4 occasions in a row from 2011 to 2014. However in a latest chat on the Obi One Podcast, the former Barcelona star mentioned Mikel had a greater yr in 2013.
That yr, Mikel performed a key function as Nigeria gained the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He additionally helped Chelsea raise the UEFA Europa League. In the meantime, Touré solely gained the English Group Protect, however was nonetheless named Africa’s greatest participant.
“You deserved it, Obi, to be trustworthy,” Touré informed Mikel. “Nigeria gained the AFCON, and also you had been key throughout that point. I used to be informed nothing by CAF. When you had gained it, I’d have been fantastic with it.”
Touré defined that attending the award ceremony might have performed a task in him profitable the title.
“If we don’t present up, who will assist? The Europeans again their very own occasions, and we as Africans want to do the similar,” he mentioned.
Regardless of the CAF award snub, each Mikel and Touré loved nice careers. Right this moment, Yaya Touré works as assistant coach for the Saudi Arabia nationwide staff.
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