- Stay Connected
Socialize
Ghanaian Fans Slam CAF Over Exclusion of Katongo From ‘Player of the Year’ Shortlist
AIMING HIGH: Zambia captain Christopher Katongo
Katongo, who led less-fancied Zambia to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations title in January, was left out of the five-man shortlist led by Didier Drogba.
The China-based Chipolopolo captain’s exclusion led to discussion by almost all the radio stations in Accra on Saturday with all bemoaning the exclusion of the most valuable player of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Drogba, now at Shanghai Shenhua in China, and compatriot Yaya Toure, of English champions Manchester City, join Senegal’s Demba Ba, of Newcastle United, Marseille’s Ghana forward Andre Ayew and Cameroon’s Alexandre Song, of Barcelona on the list.
The inclusion of Ba and Song coupled with the exclusion of Katongo which has sparked anger among Black Stars fans.
Despite leading Zambia to back to back victories over Ghana this year, Ghanaian fans called into several radio stations on Saturday to slam the decision by CAF.
“This (Katongo’s exlcusion) is very very shameful. I feel horrified by the decision by CAF and the leaders including Hayatou should bow their heads down in shame,” ace commentator Kwabena Yeboah told Joy FM.
“It is criminal to exclude Katongo from the CAF five-man shortlist. He stood very tall this year and to exclude him shows CAF has completely gone bonkers,” a fan Kwame Appeadu told Peace FM.
Another football fan said: “The exclusion of Katongo shows that CAF is totally ignorant of the game it runs. Katongo has done more than any African player in Africa this year.”
Sam Amoah added: “Hayatou and his folks are out here to deny a genuine contender for the award. They should now tell us that its no good playing at the AFCON.”
While others concentrated on Katongo, many others slammed the inclusion on Ba and Song claiming CAF’s bias towards Francophone played a role in their inclusion.
Senegal bombed out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the first round while Song’s Cameroon failed to qualify and both of them won no titles at club level.
“Ba and Song did nothing for their countries and clubs to deserve a place in the African best shortlist. This is a sick joke from CAF,” Issaka Amadu told another radio station.
Katongo has steadily risen to stardom over the last 10 years, having made his name at Green Buffaloes between 2003 and 2004, and culminating with the 2012 AfCON trophy last February.
One of his lesser known feats at Buffaloes saw him score four goals in one game at the 2003 and 2004 editions of the Confederation Cup in 5-0 and 6-1 wins over Saint Michel of the Seychelles and DR Congo side DC Motema Pembe respectively.
However, unlike most of his Zambia teammates who rose from Under-17 and 20 levels, Katongo was a late bloomer and his path to Chipolopolo stardom began at Under-23 level.
He was part of the 2003 All-Africa Games team that finished fourth in Abuja, scoring just one goal at the tournament and another in the qualifiers.
Katongo made his Africa Cup debut in Egypt in 2006 where Zambia exited at the group stages, but not before scoring in Chipolopolo’s 1-0 win over South Africa.
A year later, he famously scored a hat-trick against South Africa in a 3-1 win in Cape Town to help Zambia secure qualification to the 2008 Nations Cup.
His club career has taken him from Jomo Cosmos in South Africa where he played from 2004 to 2007 and was top scorer of the year months after he had left the Premier Soccer League side.
His first stop in Europe was at Brondby in Denmark in 2007 and later transferred to German side Arminia Bielefeld in 2008.
In 2010, Katongo left Germany for Greece where he spent a year at Skoda Xanthi and later moved to China in 2011 to sign with current club Henan Construction.
[GhanaSoccernet]
Posted by Editor
on November 25, 2012. Filed under LATEST NEWS, SPORTS.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
Bazamuka
November 25, 2012 at 10:23 am
just who short-lists? that ka list is full of west africans. ma rubbish, useless caf.
Cathy Libondo
November 25, 2012 at 10:45 am
Mayb am behaid, but Y has he bin excluded Y z CAF being unfair? Chris deserves to be on the list!! Let pepo’z votes decide not CAF….
Attacker
November 25, 2012 at 10:48 am
I agree with the Ghanian funs.
Demba Ba nad Alex song have won nothing for thier clubs and countries. What was the criteria used.
The final list should have remained with Drogba, Yaya and Katongo.
Further analysis would tell you that Katongo is the man, why?
The answer is simple. a country’s primier league or continental league is in no way superior to the nations cup. A nations cup consists of collection of players from all works of life plus the indigenious one.
Katongo captained a team that appeared to be under dogs and beat all the three highly rated teams in africa on the way to lift an all important trophy. Katongo was player of the tournament. Katongo was joint top scorer. Katongo has scored a crucial goal in world cup qualifiers against one of Africa’s highly rated teams and made sure the defendig champions qualified for africa cup through his important goal at home to Uganda.
What more did CAF want?
La
November 25, 2012 at 10:54 am
Ma rubbish for sure boi Bazamuka
TimZ
November 25, 2012 at 10:54 am
Not picking on merit. Katongo deserved to be among the 5 short listed players.
BIGMAN
November 25, 2012 at 10:58 am
Can someone explain to me what criteria is used to select the African player of the year.
peter mathotho
November 25, 2012 at 11:28 am
Itis sad indeed those who failled to qualify in AFCON 2012 have made it and those that made early exit have made it ,i ma doubting this caf thing is it bcz we are in the southern africa .
ba Chichi
November 25, 2012 at 11:34 am
I do not think CAF has played it fair on Chris Katongo.Is selection criteria based at club level or national level.fake ba CAF.
Rod
November 25, 2012 at 11:45 am
Francophone speaking nations underhand methods! Surely a joint top scorer and captain of the victorious Chipolopolo side not in the final list is just shocking to say the least
kabova
November 25, 2012 at 12:20 pm
This is very simple those guys at CAF did their homework and cant just believe what they cameup with. If this guy katongo is put on the list soccer fans in Ghana, Nigeria, south africa ….plus plus would have voted for him. Now we are left with old rusty guys like Dog Bark to choose from . Atase.
Bbwii
November 25, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Hayatou has oso ova lived his bosship..CAF prezdo since 1988..it simz hz either blind 2c o thz floz o z biast 4sum 1 n mind..i guess hz man ll gt the award..atase
Simon Joe Asamoh
November 25, 2012 at 1:29 pm
I passionatelly go wth Sam Amoah’s point, “Hayatou and his folks are
out here to deny a genuine contender for the
award. They should now tell us that its no
good playing at the AFCON.” If Demba ‘Bearholo’ Ba and Alex ‘Losers’ Song, ar gud footballers why has Europe denied them kudos where they ar showcasing their football prowees. I thnk Issa Hayatou and his minions have become demon possesed. If not so their gods ar not happy of there selfishness tht they want to make them lunatics, and whenevr your gods wants to deal u, they cause u reach up to dull decision so tht u ar expossd. I’m vry much sure tht evn the primate of Congo forest cannot include Mr Ba and Mr Song on a list of this lucrutive award, cause they knw hw much they have tormented the ghosts of Senegal and Cameroun respectively. Issa is leading a mad CAF.
Framuka
November 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm
In the first place Drogber has taken Kennedy Mweene’s position and the rest have taken Christopher Katongo’s victory. What a shame to CAF! Well, CAF will be disappointed with the Zambia and Christopher Katongo’s performance in the world cup and Africa cup games soon.
mbobola mungo
November 25, 2012 at 2:24 pm
while it appears unfair to leave skipper katongo,where did you get this impression that Ghanian fan have rejected the exclusion of katongo? please supply us the factual and true news
Hayouto
November 25, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Caf only recognise west african countries and arab countries.This is for africa not Europe NO.How come they use European competitions to choose players while when they come to Africa they totally fail. Caf Very Idiotic.
OS
November 25, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Hayatou is mad. How do you pick Ba and Song excluding katongo and Mweene? On what basis?Is it because the former play in europe or is it because they speak franch as you do?fool !
Shaka mulenga
November 25, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Ficabamba fyabo.if dis is how caf gona run futball then they’v lost it.wat has demba ba n alexanda song achievd dis year.amanofye ayamubombasa.dis is d most baisness selection hav eva seen.bullsh*t
Unbrainwashed African
November 25, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Imwe ba Tumfweko why have u blocked our Blogging? This is a hot topic
Unbrainwashed African
November 25, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Ba Tumfweko why are u blocking my comment on how Africans are brainwashed into thinking sTaRs are those appearing on our Europe focussed Tvs?
UnbRainwashed African
November 25, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Still blocked: Demba Ba and Alex Song didn’t shine at AFCON or in any international tournament so what are they doing on the list?.
Unbrainwashed African
November 25, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Song and Demba are always seen on TV. The problem is that Hayatou and Africans are brainwashed to think for a player to be a star he has to be seen on a TV that only shows us ENglish and European soccer! Thank you Ghanaian fans for being objective
Livingstone
November 25, 2012 at 7:06 pm
This is not Europian or English soccer, this mad guys are missing a point, Katongo is fighting for African games and he has been shinning, Ba and Song has never proved on this land of Africa, ma rubbish!
KALULETE
November 25, 2012 at 8:16 pm
CHRIS KATONGO HAS NO MONEY TO BRIBE THEM THEN HE IS FROM SOUTHEN AFRICA
Kalulete's supporter
November 25, 2012 at 8:56 pm
CAF especially Hayatou thrives on bribes
Prof Nchito
November 25, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I’m surprised that up to now late on Sunday none of the scandal loving Zambian websites have picked the big front Page story in South Africa’s Sunday Sun that Clifford Mulenga has been cheating on his wife
CBB
November 25, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Thanks Ghana for supporting our guy
umuntu mutwe
November 26, 2012 at 12:20 am
mwalitumpa ba caf,this is totally unfare guys.
jolijo
November 26, 2012 at 7:27 am
These bafikala baCAF they are jeajlous of Zambia they want Western countries to succed Katongo was supposed to be the Award winner, can someone tell me what they consider on selection?
am also unbrainwashed
November 26, 2012 at 7:31 am
i LOATHE brainwashed nincompoops and the goons that keep thinking the hopeless english premeir league is class. @Unbrainwahed African, say it even louder! CAF is a f@*ked piece of crap
JM
November 26, 2012 at 1:03 pm
ma rabbishe chi president caf.useless chap,idiotmonkey.
JONATHAN MULENGA
November 26, 2012 at 4:11 pm
It’s high time CAF leadership is changed.Indeed there is corruption going on.Lets support our friends in Ghana by boycotting next year CAF in South Africa.FIFA should intervene before any western African teams ,more especially Ivory coast is stoned at the CAF games in January 2013.
asevu
November 26, 2012 at 6:11 pm
does caf have a constitution?.how can u have 1 caf president since 1988?next election lets vote for kalu,doctor khumalo or any southern african president or change caf hq to southern africa.
DRA.
November 27, 2012 at 9:38 am
Ba CAF U need to be operating with intergrity.U do not need the dump person to tell u that what is right is this.
justasking4dualcitenship
November 28, 2012 at 4:22 am
The reason is very simple. the European transfer window is about to open ,so issa hayatou and the rest of the cunts at caf have been greased to market some players. Demba Ba is unsettled at newcastle and has been linked to a move to liverpool. adding the african footballer of the year to his resume would up his prize. Ayew has made it public that he wants to play in England.Alex song just went to bercalona so in their retarded mind that makes him a conteder.
Until central,eastern and southern Africa unite to fight this issa hayatou led caf which by the way is corrupt to the core we will be dancing to the lame tunes of european soccer agents.
by the way chris katongo is my African footballer of the year regardless of what the caf records will be showing.