The shortlist of the three nominees for the African Youth Player of The Year Category award was reached following votes from a CAF Technical & Development Committee and a panel of media experts with an emphasis on the performance of every nominee during the year 2019.
Many people had predicted either Osimhen or Chukwueze to win the individual accolade but Morrocan and Dortmund Defender (Hakimi) was awarded as the best African Youth Player for 2019 to the surprise of many Nigerian football lovers.
The Moroccan international has established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting attacking full-backs, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists in 17 Bundesliga appearances so far this season, also netting 4 times in his 5 Champions League matches to help his team to the knockout stages of the European competition.
For Morocco, Hakimi couldn’t help his star-studded team beyond the second round of the AFCON last year by getting knocked out by the Squirrels of Benin.
However, this year, Osimhen was thought to be the favorite to win the award for the second time after his brilliant form for both Nigeria and Lille. It will be recalled that he once clinched the award after his scintillating performance at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Mexico in 2015 and has since then been on hiatus for another edition of the award.
The Lille goal poacher has so far bagged 10 superb goals and 3 assists for Lille in 19 appearances this season. While registering 2 goals in the group stage of the champions league this season.
For Nigeria, Osimhen couldn’t dethrone Odion Ighalo at the AFCON last year but after the retirement of the Ighalo, Osimhen has cemented his place in Gernot Rohr’s team at every international fixture. He has scored 3 and registered 2 assists in two matches for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Samuel Chukwueze is one other name that most Nigerians are really frustrated about. The Villarreal wonder kid has gone to show not once, twice or thrice that he’s one of best African Youth Players with his performances in the Laliga, Europa League and his country Nigeria.
During a nail-biting 4-4 draw with Barcelona last season, the 20-year-old rendered Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti dilapidated with his relentless running and dazzling rapid footwork. Alba ended up with cramp on the night as he tried in vain to contain the Nigerian star boy who netted a goal and an assist against the Catalans.
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At the AFCON last year, his explosive and highly effective displays from out wide also earned him a place in the Nigeria side for the Africa Cup of Nations where he claimed the man-of-the-match award during a 2-1 win over South Africa.
Eyes have been on him since then to see whether he’s just another quick and skillful young star who has a glorious highlights reel on Youtube and social media who could just as well fade away in the deep sea of Europe’s talent pool and end up in a backwater league – But, the never say die Nigeria spirit has kept Samuel up to this moment.
Statistically, Achraf Hakimi shouldn’t have won the African Youth Player Of The Year Award at the expense of the aforementioned Nigerian talents. The fact that the two Nigeria sensations, without much experience, have helped Nigeria to snatch the Bronze medal at the AFCON last year is something to take to cognizance.
Many aberrant and sentimental officials of CAF have done a crazy job with their “votes” and it just doesn’t make our administration of Football in Africa an ideal and genuine one – What a shoddy job done by CAF!
However, congratulations to Hakimi who was crowned the 2019 African Youth Player of the Year at the Confederation Of African Football (CAF) awards ceremony held in the Egyptian city of Hurghada. The Moroccan international, who is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Real Marid, also landed the distinction last year. This time round, he beat off competition from Nigeria’s duo of Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal) and Victor Osimhen (Lille).
The right-back was also named in the African Best XI for 2019, in which he lines up alongside Onana, Aurier, Matip, Koulibaly, Gueye, Mahrez, Ziyech, Salah, Aubameyang and Sadio Mané.
