Category: World Service
Date: 28.01.2006
Printable version
Egyptian star Mohamed Barakat will make history when he becomes the first North African player to win the prestigious Â鶹Éç African Footballer of the Year award, voted by audiences.
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Barakat is a key member of his national side at the African Cup of Nations.
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He won the vote organised by bbc.co.uk/africanfootball and the Â鶹Éç World Service African sports programme Fast Track.
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The 29-year-old was instrumental in helping his club side, Ahly, become African Club champions, scoring one of the goals in the final.
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His popularity seems to have spread across the continent.
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The poll, which consisted of a first round for nominations and then a vote for a shortlist, saw Mohamed Barakat beat his closest rival Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon by 10,000 votes.
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More than 60,000 votes were registered in total with Mohamed Barakat finishing ahead of Eto'o in second and Nigerian Obafemi Martins in third place.
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Previous winners of the Â鶹Éç African Footballer of the Year include Samuel Osei Kuffour of Ghana, Senegal's El-Hadji Diouf and Nigeria's Jay Jay Okocha who was voted the best twice, in 2003 and 2004.
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Prior to that, the award was known as the Â鶹Éç Sports Personality of the Year, and previous winners include footballers Abedi Pele and George Weah as well as athletes Hailie Gerbreselassie and Frankie Fredericks.
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The Â鶹Éç African Footballer of the Year award ceremony will take place at a special press conference at 10.30am on Wednesday 1 February at Le Meridien Heliopolis Hotel in Cairo.
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The trophy will be presented by Editor of Â鶹Éç World Service African Productions, Martin Davies.
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