JOHANNESBURG: A list of 17 African stars supposedly nominated for the continent’s 2010 player of the year award was not real and not released by the African Football Confederation.
CAF said in a statement late Tuesday it had nothing to do with the list, which included Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan, Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and South Africa’s Steven Pienaar, and was widely reported as the official nominees.
"The attention of the Confederation of African Football has been drawn to a fictitious list purporting to be that of nominees for the 2010 Glo-CAF Player of the Year Awards," the statement said. "CAF wishes to state clearly that the list did not emanate from its offices as there are known procedures for the listing of nominees for the awards.
"We therefore urge the general public and the football community to disregard the said list circulating in some media circles."
The fake list also named three-time winner Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Michael Essien (Ghana), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Mohamed Zidan (Egypt), Marouene Chamakh (Morocco) and Majid Bougherra (Algeria).
The origin of the list was yet to be determined but it was reported by websites and newspapers across Africa following its release on Monday.
CAF said it had always announced player of the year nominees through "scheduled media events" and the same procedure would be followed in 2010.
The body said it would release the real nominees for Africa’s player of the year "in the days ahead."
