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Yacine Brahimi Beats Vincent Enyeama To Win BBC African Player Of The Year Award

December 1, 2014

Brahimi, speaking to BBC after being crowned, said "I dedicate the award to my family, all the African countries and especially my country, Algeria. This trophy is going to give me some strength, the desire to learn and also some inspiration for some great performances."

Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama saw his hopes of being named the BBC African Player Of The Year for 2014 dashed after BBC announced Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi as the winner.

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The Porto winger beat Lille FC shot-stopper Enyeama to the top prize after garnering more votes in the polls open to football fans across the continent for the first time.

Five players, including Ivory Coast’s Gervinho, Gabon’s Pierre Emerre Aubameyang, and CAF Player Of The Year Favourite Yaya Toure were earlier nominated for the award on November 10 before the aforementioned were edged out from the running hours ago, leaving only Nigeria’s Enyeama and Algeria’s Brahimi to battle it out.

Brahimi, speaking to BBC after being crowned, said "I dedicate the award to my family, all the African countries and especially my country, Algeria. This trophy is going to give me some strength, the desire to learn and also some inspiration for some great performances.

"The African Cup of Nations will be a huge inspiration for me and I hope it can drive me and Algeria on to great things at the tournament in the New Year," The former Granada player said.

Nigeria has only won the award, which was introduced in 2000, twice when Bolton’s Austin Jay Jay Okocha won back to back in 2003 and 2004.

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