YAYA TOURE’S AFRICA’S BEST!

Keita, Ayew Place Second And Third Respectively
Musa Loses, Perpetual Wins, Taiwo Makes Best XI



Ivorian Midfielder Yaya Toure has won the Caf Player of the Year award, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.

Toure, 28, who plays for English club Manchester City beat Mali’s Seydou Keita (2nd) and Andre Ayew of Ghana (3rd) to win Africa’s most prestigious individual award.

He thus succeeds Didier Drogba as the last Ivorian to win the award won in 2009.

After leaving FC Barcelona, Yaya Toure has become one of the most valuable players at English club, Manchester City and reportedly among the highest earners in Premier League.

His impeccable ball control, recovery and his intelligent reading of the game enabled him contribute in his team’s success in the FA Cup.

He scored the only goal at the semi-final against Manchester United and repeated the dose in the final against Stoke City.

He was also one of the key players in Cote d’Ivoire’s successful campaign in the qualifying rounds for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with some goals to his credit.

 Toure,in his acceptance speech thanked his wife,children and brother,Kolo Toure for their support but he gave credit to his teammates for his achievement.

 'Without my national team colleagues,I wouldn't have won this award'',he said after receiving his award from CAF president,Issah Hayatou.



FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS:


Africa Player of the Year – Yaya Toure
Fair Play award – Libyan National team
Coach of the Year – Harouna Doula
National team of the Year – Botswana
Womens National Team of the Year – Cameroon
Club of the Year – Esperence de Tunis (Tunisia)
Referee of the Year – Noumandiuez Doue (CIV)
Most Promising Talent of the Year – Souleymane Coulibaly (Cote d’Ivoire)
Womens Footballer of the Year – Perpetua Ijeoma Nkwocha (Nigeria)
Legend Award – Austin Jay Jay Okocha (Nigeria)
Legend Award – Mustapha Hadji (Morocco)
Platinum Award – John Atta Mills (Ghana)
Africa Based Player of the Year – Oussama Darragi (Tunisia)
Africa’s finest XI: — DETAILS INSIDE
 Samir Aboud (Libya), Harrison Afful (Ghana), Banana Yaya (Cameroon), Ayoub Eikhiqi (Morocco), Taye Taiwo (Nigeria), Seydou Keita (Mali), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana) Yaya Toure (Cote d’Ivoire), Andre Ayew (Ghana), Moussa Sow (Senegal) and Samuel Eto’o

Shedrack @ Angkor Wat international half marathon

Shedrack aka Shady at finishing line

Last Sunday was yet another yearly event day that took many to little but popular city of Siem Reap  here in Cambodia. It was 2011 version of Angkor Wat international marathon which saw  about 5,230 athletes from different parts of the world participating in the race including Swedes debutantes  that eventually emerged as winners of both men and women stages. 

The Swede finished one hour thirteen minutes five seconds while Shady as only Nigerian that took part in the marathon finished an hour thirty four minutes eight seconds which was pretty much impressive record for an athlete like him without proper preparations and supervision of a professional coach or manager. 

This year marathon was flagged off by Cambodia minister of tourism and president of National Olympic committee of Cambodia

Shady taking a shot with participants

Shady with Top Banana fella 

Swede successes at temple run

It was a grand Swedish double header in the 16th Angkor Wat International Half marathon in Siem Reap yesterday as Henrik Jannaborg made his debut run a winning one among men and his compatriot Jenny Lundgren romped home in the women’s event.

Photo by: Sreng Meng Srun

Runners race through a gate in the Angkor Thom temple complex during yesterday’s 16th Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in Siem Reap

At the crack of dawn, a record 5,230 runners from 58 countries had assembled in front of the famed Angkor Wat complex to take part in different categories over varying distances. The men’s and women’s half marathoners numbering around 2,000 were the first to be flagged off by Minister of Tourism and President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia Thong Khon.

With the temperature touching 21 degrees celsius at the start and humidity well within reasonable limits, the field was thickly bunched up  for a while before the serious contenders began to stretch away in a challenging tempo set by none other than Jannaborg.

Behind him chased a group headed by last year’s runner-up Evan Fox. But at the half way stage it was obvious that the Swedish amateur was the one to beat. 

Fox had his own personal battles to deal with. The tall Californian, who now lives in Vietnam working for the government there on environmental issues, had a niggling calf injury suddenly flare up.

“I very nearly thought of giving up,” said the American after the race. However, he gamely carried on to eventually finish just a minute slower in second place behind the athletically built Swede, who timed an impressive 1:13.05 for the 21km trip. 

Japan’s Qnozo Miroma, with a timing of 1:17.41, filed in third ahead of Jo Koster of Switzerland and Remi Galland of France.

“The conditions were definitely much better than I had expected,” said a triumphant Jannaborg. “When I looked over my shoulders at the half way stage, I could see Evan and others chasing hard. I just kept going and it is such a great feeling to win here. 

“This is my first appearance in this event. No, I am not a professional, I just love distance running and before coming here I had run a couple of half marathons in Thailand,” he said, adding that he also plans to compete in a full marathon.

Meanwhile for women’s half marathon winner Jenny Lundgren, a comfortable victory in the event also came with a cost. Winning in 1:25.22 ahead of New Zealander Holly Warren (1:29.11) and Singapore’s Vivian Tang (1:30.20), the 33-year-old Swede had expended so much of her energy that she was visibly struck by cramps after the event. She was noticeably limping in her walk up to the podium to receive her well earned prize.

This is only the second time that the winners of both the men’s and women’s events are from the same country, matching the record set in 1996 by the Chinese pair of  Zhan Donglin (men) and Wang Xiujie.

The men’s 10km run produced a finish fit for the theatre with 41-year-old Frenchmen Amaud Deh edging out Cambodia’s Kan Thoeun. Running barefoot, Sa Ratak of Cambodia finished a noteworthy third.

The women’s 10km was equally exacting with Switzerland’s Corine Coster staying the trip better than the rest. Respectful distance behind the winner came Gina Stenberg of Norway with Thailand’s Kristina Eriksson trotting home third.

Teenagers dominated the Family 3km fun run with Manchester-born Samuel Penfold emerging the winner. 

The 13-year-old English lad, whose parents are working in Phnom Penh, is a product of the ISBP School. He cut a smart time of 11:18.37. Someway behind in second place was Cambodia’s Huan Kung Kie, 14, ahead of 18-year-old local boy Nov Han.

The 10km run for men with artificial arms was claimed by Cambodia’s Vichet Mao with two other local runners Chec Eun and Bunleap Heam taking second and third places. The organisers decided to cancel all wheelchair races because of the poor condition of the roads.

“This is an astounding success for our sports tourism and I am extremely happy that the event passed off without any incidents. It is heartening to note that the Angkor Wat Half Marathon is growing in size and popularity and this year we had record numbers,” Tourism Minister Thong Khon told the Post after the awards Ceremony.

“We have been in discussion with organiser of this half marathon, Yuko Arimori of non-profit organisation Hearts of Gold, on the prospects of staging a full marathon in future. This route around the temple complex is ideal for a half marathon and to hold a 42km event we need lot of additional adjustments. It may not be feasible in the near future, but one day we will definitely have it,” the minister added.

NOCC Secretary General Vath Chamroeun confirmed that there had been no health concerns on the day, with just a few runners treated for exhaustion during and after the race. “Other than this, which is quite normal when thousands take part, the day was a victory for Cambodia’s biggest sports-tourism initiative,” he said.