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By FELIX MALUNGA –
ZAMBIA skipper, Christopher Katongo has been nominated for the 2012 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) African Footballer-of the-Year award.
The nomination comes barely a month after Katongo, who guided the Chipolopolo to a historic 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph, was named among candidates for the prestigious Confederation of African Football (CAF) Player of the Year accolade.
According to the BBC’s News Day live show yesterday, Katongo is among the five shortlisted players for the annual award.
Katongo will battle for the award against the Ivory Coast’s duo of Didier Drogba, who won the 2009 edition and Yaya Toure, Senegal’s Demba Ba and Younes Belhanda of Morocco.
The BBC African Footballer-of the-Year winner is decided by fans across the continent.
African football fans have until 20:30 hours (18:30 GMT) on Thursday, December 13 to vote for their choice.
The votes can be cast either via the BBC African football page or by sending an SMS from a mobile phone to +447786205075.
Those voting for Katongo need to text the number 4 and texts are limited to one per mobile phone.
The 2012 BBC African Footballer-of the-Year winner will be announced on Monday, December 17.
Ghanaian Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew won the BBC African Footballer-of the-Year last year after beating Toure with compatriot Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi ‘Gervinho’, Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Seydou Keita of Mali.
CAF will announce the winner for its prestigious African Footballer-of the-Year award at a GLO-CAF gala dinner at the Banquet Hall, State House in Accra, Ghana on December 20.
Katongo is among the 10 finalists listed for the CAF African Footballer-of the-Year alongside 2011 winner, Toure, Drobga, Gervinho, Demba Ba, Ayew, Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel, Alexander Song of Cameroon, Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Belhand.
Meanwhile, the Zambian duo of Stoppila Sunzu and Rainford Kalaba also made the five-man shortlist for the African Player-of the-Year based in Africa award.
