The Moroccan newspaper Al Mountakhab has published a list of 10 nominees for its 2012 Golden Lion award, recognizing the best African player of the year. The selection considers players who excelled with their national teams and African and European clubs in 2012. Here is the list of nominees:
- Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast – Shanghai)
- John Obi Mikel (Nigeria – Chelsea)
- Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast – Manchester City)
- Younès Belhanda (Morocco – Montpellier)
- Christopher Katongo (Zambia – Henan Construction)
- Youssef Msakni (Tunisia – Esperance)
- Mohamed Naji Gueddou (Egypt – Al Ahly)
- Demba Ba (Senegal – Newcastle)
- André Ayew (Ghana – Olympique Marseille)
- Soufiane Feghouli (Algeria – Valencia)
These players showcased outstanding performances in the specified year, with notable achievements in both domestic and international competitions. The Golden Lion award has previously been won by football legends such as Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba, and the 2012 edition promises to be highly competitive with this impressive list of nominees.
