WHO WINS THE 2012 AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR?

By Ebenezer Zor

The Glo CAF awards for 2012 come of tonight with the African best player of year topping the bill at the state banquet hall in Accra, Ghana.

Ghana is hosting the CAF awards for the fourth time after 2006, 2009 and 2011 already Issah Hayatou and his encourage arrived last Tuesday to climax the occasion

The only hope for Ghana is the female national under 17 team, the Black Maidens who are vying for the female national team of year against super falcons of Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.

This edition of the awards will see reigning champion and Ivorian international Yaya Toure competes with his country mate Didier Drogba and Cameroonian star Alexander Song.

Let’s take a glance at the profile of the contenders for the 2012 African Footballer of the year.

Full name	Gnégnéri Yaya Touré
Date of birth	13 May 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth	Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Manchester City
Number	42
Youth career
1996–2001	ASEC Mimosas
Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2003	Beveren	70	(3)
2003–2005	Metalurh Donetsk	33	(3)
2005–2006	Olympiacos	26	(3)
2006–2007	Monaco	27	(5)
2007–2010	Barcelona	74	(4)
2010–	Manchester City	84	(16)
National team
2004–	Côte d'Ivoire	67	(10)

Full name	Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth	11 March 1978 (age 34)
Place of birth	Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Shanghai Shenhua
Number	11
Youth career
s1996–1997	Levallois
1997–1998	Le Mans
Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2002	Le Mans	64	(12)
2002–2003	Guingamp	45	(20)
2003–2004	Marseille	35	(19)
2004–2012	Chelsea	226	(100)
2012–	Shanghai Shenhua	11	(8)
National team
2002–	Côte d'Ivoire	90	(59)

Full name	Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong
Date of birth	9 September 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth	Douala, Cameroon
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	25
Youth career
2001–2004	Bastia
Senior career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2006	Bastia	32	(0)
2005–2006	Arsenal (loan)	5	(0)
2006–2012	Arsenal	138	(7)
2007	Charlton Athletic (loan)	12	(0)
2012–	Barcelona	7	(1)
National team
2002–2003	France U16	6	(0)
2003–2004	Cameroon U17	3	(0)
2008	Cameroon U23	3	(0)
2005–	Cameroon	34	(0)

 Other categories to be contested for aside the African Football flagship of the year are

 African Player of the Year 2012 – Based in Africa:
Stoppila Sunzu (Zambia, TP Mazembe), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia, TP Mazembe), Mohamed Aboutreika (Egypt, Al Ahly)

National team of the year nominees:
Zambia, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast

Women's national team of the year:
Equatorial Guinea, Ghana Under-17, Nigeria Under-20

Club of the year nominees:
Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance (Tunisia), AC Leopards ( Congo), Djoliba (Mali)

Coach of the year nominees:
Herve Renard (Zambia), Hosam El Badry (Al Ahly), Joseph Morius OMOG (AC Léopards, Cameroon)

Most promising talent:
Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Basel), Moussa Konate (Senegal and FC Krasnodar), Victor Wanyama (Kenya and Celtic)

Women's footballer of the year:
Chinwendu Ihezuo (Nigeria), Genoveva Anoman (Equatorial Guinea), Portia Modise (South Africa)

Referee of the Year:
Djamal Alhaimoudi, Diatta Badara, Jedidi Slim

Legend Award:
Mahmoud El-Gohari, Rigobert Song