The Moroccan sports newspaper El Mountakhab has unveiled the list of nominees for the 2013 Golden Lion, the prestigious award given to the best African footballer. The list includes top football talents from the continent, aiming to succeed Ivorian Didier Drogba, the previous titleholder.
The nominees for the 2013 Golden Lion are as follows:
- Mehdi Benatia (Morocco – AS Roma)
- Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt – Al Ahly)
- Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast – Galatasaray)
- Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast – Manchester City)
- John Obi Mikel (Nigeria – Chelsea)
- Victor Moses (Nigeria – Liverpool)
- Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana – Juventus)
- Mubarak Wakaso (Ghana – Rubin Kazan)
- Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria – AC Valencia)
- Jonathan Pitoipa (Burkina Faso – Rennes)
Notably, Cameroonian international Samuel Eto’o, a three-time winner of the award (2004, 2009, and 2010), is not in the running for the 2013 Golden Lion. The competition is fierce among the nominees, with Yaya Touré, Mohamed Aboutrika, and Jonathan Pitoipa considered strong contenders. The winner will be eagerly awaited as the football community anticipates the crowning of Africa’s top player for 2013.
