Sports

Michael Emenalo: ‘Unknown’ in Africa, a king in Saudi

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2023

Although modern football originated in Britain in the 19th century, it has permeated the globe to become the World’s most popular sport, with different countries owning playing styles and identities, producing top players. Football enthusiasts in different generations have watched some excellent players of the game like the great Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, Argentina’s Diago Maradona, George Best, Alfredo Di Stefano, Franz Beckenbauer, and recent fan favourites like Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Neymar Junior, Harry Kane, and Heung Min Son, to mention just a few.

Africa has not been left out in the heroes of the game with world-beaters like Essam El-Hadary of Egypt, Abedi Ayew ‘Pele’ of Ghana, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast, Cameroon’s Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o, Liberia’s George Weah who is the current president of his country, Nigeria’s JJ Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo, among other legends the continent has produced. But football remains at a developmental stage in many African countries largely due to the failures of its “administrators” and technical competencies of coaching personnel in the continent despite many ex-footballers and supposed experts favouring football management as a “retirement occupation.”

Of course, there are always exceptions to the bunch, and such has been the case of the Saudi Pro League Director of Football, Michael Emenalo, who was at the centre of activities at London Club, Chelsea for over a decade, having joined the coaching staff in 2007. He later became chief scout, and then assistant first-team coach.

Arguably his most remarkable role at Chelsea was his appointment as Technical Director in 2011 under which he completely restructured the club’s academy, scouting, loan and women’s team setups, and is credited with being a major factor in the club’s success in that era. He also oversaw the scouting and signing of important players like Juan Mata, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, N’Golo Kanté, Eden Hazard, and Cesc Fàbregas.

Enemalo later joined French side Monaco as a Technical Director after falling out with Chelsea’s former owner, Roman Abrahimovic. Although his stint at Monaco was short compared to his time at Chelsea, Emenalo is back in the spotlight with a recent appointment as the Football Director of the fast-rising Saudi Pro League. The league got the world talking when Al Nassr signed one of the greatest players of the game— Ronaldo— in 2022 on a deal with the “biggest salary” in soccer history worth close to 200 million euros (nearly $250 million) a year.

The recent wave of other top Europe-based players like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Aymeric Laporte who moved to the Saudi Pro League in the just concluded transfer window is not likely to be a mere coincidence given Enemalo’s new role where his main job will be to supervise the work of player transfer, going by his “star pulling power” and profile from his Chelsea and Monaco days.

The Saudi League is the new bride of world football and it is pleasing to see an African as Emenalo being trusted with the project, particularly a novel aspect of the game. While African football largely run by Emenalo’s contemporaries is yet to reach the “technical height” of the Chelseas, Monacos, and now Saudis, Emenalo’s exploits connote two thought-provoking sides. First, the hope and conviction that Africans can excel anywhere and in any chosen field, including football management. The other is rather a query on why and if Emenalo’s feats can ever be replicated on the homefront for football development in Africa.

Related Topics:Featured Michael Enemalo Saudi Arabia

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Sports

Nigeria’s Lookman, Zambia’s Banda big winners at 2024 CAF Award

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigerian sensation, Ademola Lookman, has wrapped his footballing year with another win after being declared as the Men’s Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Lookman, who plays for Italian club side Atalanta, was the biggest winner at the star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech following 12 months with Italian side Atalanta and the Nigerian Super Eagles. He follows in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, who claimed the award in 2023.

This is the first time Nigeria has had consecutive men’s award winners since nearly thirty years, when Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were awarded.

Other top African achievers recognized for their exploits during the event include South Africa’s Ronwen Williams and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Banda was instrumental in leading Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the United States. She scored the game-winning goal in the final against Washington Spirit.

Other winners include Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row after another impressive season for French side Paris FC.

Sanaâ Mssoudy, a forward for AS FAR and Morocco, received the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award after winning the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League Best Player title. Agile box-to-box midfielder, Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco, won the Men’s Young Player of the Year award for his outstanding performances for both club and country.

Doha El Madani, a 19-year-old Moroccan and AS FAR player, won the Women’s Young Player of the Year award after scoring six goals in five games to win the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.

See the full winners list below:

2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)

CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)

CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)

CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)

CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)

Sports

Salah wins 6th EPL Player of the Month award

Published

4 days ago

December 15, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Egyptian national team captain and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, was on Saturday voted the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for November 2024, making it his sixth POTM diadem in his career.

Salah, who has been in inspiring form this season, has scored and assisted five of Liverpool’s seven goals as the Reds won all three of their Premier League matches to stay top of the table.

Salah’s was November’s highest scorer in the Premier League and the Egyptian is now on 13 goals for the season, level with Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race.

The 32-year-old also has 21 combined goals and assists this season, the most in the Premier League, four more than Cole Palmer, who ranked second in the voting.

This award also puts Salah alongside Premier League legends like Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also won the Player of the Month award six times, and is now just one win away from equaling the record of seven awards, held by Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.