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Former Liverpool’s Sadio Mane named African Footballer of Year

Senegal’s Sadio Mane was crowned African Footballer of the Year for the second time running at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards ceremony in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt in a shootout in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final to lift the trophy for the first time.

The awards returned for the first time in three years after being suspended by the coronavirus pandemic, with Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala also retaining the title she won in 2019.

“I am very, very happy to receive the trophy this year,” Mane, 30, said as he collected his prize.

Mane beat compatriot and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as well as former Liverpool team-mate Salah, whose Egypt side lost February’s final.

“I thank the Senegalese people, and dedicate this trophy to the youth of my country,” added Mane, who also helped Senegal reach the World Cup and won two domestic cups with Liverpool.

Mane’s prize was one of five picked up by Senegal in a total of seven men’s categories after a night to remember for the West African nation.

Long-standing Senegalese boss Aliou Cisse won coach of the year, with his side named men’s team of the year, while Pape Sarr was named young player of the year and another Senegalese, Pape Ousmane Sakho, won best goal for his overhead kick for Tanzanian side Simba.

“We waited a long time for this Nations Cup,” said Augustin Senghor, the president of Senegal’s football federation. “We are a good example to all those teams who have not yet won (the tournament).”

Sarr, who appeared just once during Senegal’s historic Nations Cup triumph, won an award previously lifted by Salah himself after his season on loan with French side Metz, so edging out Red Bull Salzburg’s Ivorian Karim Konate and Manchester United’s Tunisian Hannibal Mejbri.

A host of African football legends such as Daniel Amokachi, Lucas Radebe, Jay-Jay Okocha, Geremi Njitap and Senegalese duo El Hadji Diouf and Khalilou Fadiga – who celebrated on stage with Mane – were in attendance for the awards at the Mohamed VI complex.

African and Moroccan champions Wydad Casablanca took the club of the year prize for the second time in a row, while Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, whose Nations Cup ended early because of injury, was named the interclub player of the year.
History for Oshoala
Asisat Oshoala with the Copa de la Reina trophy
Oshoala helped Barcelona win the Spanish title and the Copa de la Reina

After a stellar season in which she won Spain’s Pichichi award for the top scorer, Oshoala became the first player to win five women’s awards, having previously shared eight with compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.

She was voted ahead of Cameroon’s Inter Milan player Ajara Nchout Njoya and Grace Chanda, whose Zambia side qualified for the Women’s World Cup for the first time earlier this month.

“It’s a record-breaking night for me, as an individual and for Africa as a whole – I’ve got five today, five!” Oshoala exclaimed.

“2021-22 season was really tough for me as an individual, and I’d like to thank everyone who has stood by me.

“If you don’t fall, you don’t know the power of comeback and what comeback means,” said a player who managed her scoring feats despite a lengthy spell out with injury.

Oshoala dedicated her award to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, praising the team for the heart they showed when losing Monday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) semi-final on penalties despite playing nearly an hour two women down.

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis was named women’s coach of the year for the third time in a row, after previous successes in 2018 and 2019.

One of just three women’s coaches at a Wafcon featuring 12 sides for the first time, Ellis – whose side can win the trophy for the first time on Saturday – dedicated her honour to her fellow female coaches.

The women’s team of the year will be announced after Saturday’s final, when Banyana Banyana meet hosts Morocco in a final whose attendance is expected to beat the record 45,000 set on Monday night.

The last twelve months have proved historic for women’s football in Africa, after the inaugural African Champions League took place in late 2021 – with winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa named club of the year.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Evelyn Badu, who was with Hasaacas Ladies before moving to Norway, took both the young player and first interclub player award.

Yei authorities confiscate expired foreign maize flour

Yei County authorities have confiscated large quantities of maize flour believed to be either contaminated or expired from shopkeepers in the market.

Justin Luwate, Yei Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce said the move came after some buyers complained they
discovered ‘spongy like objects’ and stinking smells in the food product.

“We got a lot of reports that the maize flour in the market was not good; that it is expired and smelly and these complaints continued to come from various people.”

Mr. Luwate said the concerns prompted the area Commissioner to issue an order directing the county health officials to conduct a search and confiscate the food product.

“So that it triggered public health officials to conduct a search in the market and indeed they got additional information that there was spongy material in the maize flour.”

Mr. Luwate said no adverse effects were recorded from the consumption of the allegedly expired flour.

in November last year, South Sudan National Bureau of Standards warned that the country was feeding on substandard food due to inability to examine imported goods.

South Sudan rely entirely on Kenya and Uganda for all of its imports.

Tomatoes, onions, maize flour, rice, cooking oil, dairy products and beans are some of the food items still being imported from neighboring countries.

Mary Gordon Muortat who is the Chief Executive Officer of South Sudan National Bureau of Standard said this has been happening because her institutions lack the resources to protect South Sudan from harmful products.

While making the remarks, Mrs. Muortat also disclosed that over 500 bags of inferior sorghum were earlier impounded which were meant for the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces or the SSPDF.

The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs had confirmed the importation of the food adding that, directives were given for the sorghum to be destroyed.

Angelina Teny however did not name the company that bought the 500 bags of sorghum for the army.

Worries as two activists kidnapped in Mundri East hard to trace

Mundri East commissioner says the county is yet to trace two staff of a national non-governmental organization who were abducted early this month in the area.

The two individuals were kidnapped while training chiefs and youths on peace and governance in Minga Payam.

The commissioner could not mention the names of the abductees.

However, in a press release by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, the abductees have been identified as Emmanuel Ginaba and Yasir Mamur.

They work for Active Youth Agency, a national non-governmental organization in the county.

The count official, Margaret Fozia said they are aware of the incident, but no one has claimed responsibility.

“I am aware, but I don’t know who abducted them. Somebody who is in the bush, I wouldn’t know. If they were abducted by the SSPD or IO I would be able to respond because these are the people I know and they are around.”

However, Fozia went on to say, “The county is doing everything possible to find their ware-bouts and bring them home.”

In a separate statement, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, CEPO, condemned the act and demanded immediate release of the staff.

In its statement seen by Eye Radio, CEPO, called on the abductors to let go off the staff without any pre-conditions and ensure that they are free from any form of harm.

It also added that abducting humanitarian workers for whatever objective is unacceptable, and a crime that should stop.

Mother of slain Kajo-keji teens dies after taking toxicant

The mother of two siblings who were allegedly killed by SSPDF soldiers in Kiri Boma of Kajo-Keji County nearly two months ago has died after taking a toxicant.

48-year-old Susan Basa Wani reportedly consumed Ant Trax, a pesticide used for killing ant-hill ants on Sunday evening.

“I called my mum but she was not picking my calls. So, I decided to call a neighbor to go and check on my mother. After a while, the neighbor called me back and told me that she found my mother laying on the ground”, Jessica Kabang, a daughter to the late narrated to Eye Radio.

“”So, I rushed and found that the neighbors have already put her on the bed lying unconsciously. When we went to her room, we got a bottle of Ant-Trax on the ground,” Kabang said.

The woman was then rushed to a nearby health center at Kworojik where she died the following morning while receiving first aid.

In May, Susan sons Yamba Lominsuk, 18, Justin Lisok Lominsuk, 16, and Yiga Wani, 8 were killed by soldiers.

This was after the deceased cousins volunteered to show some soldiers the body of their colleague who was murdered in the Kiri Boma.

Recently, Central Equatoria State received the findings of an investigation into the incident by the state parliament , but the document has not been made public.

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