Kanu, Ikpeba, Okocha, Others for Glo-CAF Awards

Former Super Eagles Captains, Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, will be among the generation of past Super Eagles’ players who will attend the forthcoming Glo-CAF Awards gala night ceremony scheduled for January 8 in Lagos.
In a statement from the organisers of the awards, Globacom, Okocha and two former African Footballers of the Year, Kanu and Victor Nosa Ikpeba, are expected to grace the awards aptly labelled the ‘Oscars of African Football.’
It is believed that their presence at the event would spur younger football players to greater height.

Okocha distinguished himself playing with Einthract Frankfurt FC of Germany, Fernabache of Turkey, Paris St Germain of France and Bolton Wanderers of England.
He is noted for his flamboyant skills and dribbles on the pitch. A two-time winner of the BBC African Player of the Year, he was honoured with the Legends Award along with Ex-Moroccan International Mustapha Hadji at the 2011 Glo-CAF Awards. He wore many caps for the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles before he retired about eight years ago.
Similarly, Ikpeba, a former player of Monaco FC, popularly known as ‘Prince of Monaco’ played for the France-based team for many years before moving over to Borrussia Dortmund FC in Germany. He was also in Belgium where he played for Standard Liege. He won the African Footballer of the year Award in 1997.

Ex-International, Kanu began his football exploit as a striker in Ajax of Amsterdam and later moved to Inter Milan, Arsenal and Portsmouth amongst others. Kanu is rated as Nigeria's most successful player and he earned global acclaim for his infinite capacity to score memorable goals. He won the African Footballer of the Year Award twice in 1996 and 1999.
He captained the Super Eagles for many years before retiring from active football. He was the captain of the Atlanta Olympics winning U-23 team in 1996. He established the Kanu Heart Foundation which has assisted a number of young children across Africa with heart challenges.

The three ex- Nigerian Internationals will lead other Super Eagles players to the event where they will have the opportunity to reminisce on their Super Eagles days, as well as meet current and ex-Internationals from different parts of Africa.
CAF’S final list of three shortlisted players for the African Player of the Year awards include; Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama, three times winner, Ivorian Yaya Toure, and Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.