•Mikel Obi (R)
Manchester City legend Yaya Toure has acknowledged that former Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi should have been named Africa’s best player in 2013.
Mikel was considered the favorite to clinch the CAF African Player of the Year award that year, following an impressive season where he played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League triumph and helped Nigeria lift the Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite his outstanding performances, the award went to Toure, who claimed the title for the third year running.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Ivory Coast captain admitted Mikel was the more deserving candidate.
“You deserved it, Obi, to be honest, because in the league, the season was perfect. Nigeria won the AFCON, and you were instrumental in this period,” Toure said.
Toure went on to say he had no prior knowledge from CAF that he would win the award and revealed he would have been just as pleased had Mikel received the honour.
“The thing is, I was told nothing [by CAF] and I said Obi deserved it at the time. If it were me or him [Obi Mikel], it would have been fine, but the big question was me attending the ceremony. If we don’t go there, who’s going to support?
He also used the moment to call for greater unity among Africans in supporting their own events and achievements.
“We’ve seen the Europeans supporting their own cause, their own events, and their own things. We Africans want to do that, but we have to make sure we unite and we go together.”
