Prince Amoako Wins Special CAF Award

Ghanaian international, Prince Amoako has won a special Fair-Play award. The Confederation of African Football, CAF’s special mention award will be presented to Prince Amoako for upholding the dictates of fair play during the Black Stars quarter final match against Nigeria at African Cup of Nations.

In the first half of the match in which the Black Stars lost by a lone goal, Prince Amoako kicked the ball out of play to enable the referee halt the game and allow first aid personnel to attend to the Nigerian goalkeeper, Ike Shoruomu, who was injured in a tense goal-mouth action.

At a press briefing in Bamako, a spokesman for the organisers of the award, Mark Gleeson said though the CAF awards scheduled for South Africa next April 16 are meant to honour players for their contributions to game in the year 2001, Amoako's act was distinct and needs commendation.

He said Amoako, who plays for Saturn Rumasko in Russia had other options and could have gone for a goal but decided to be fair to the game by kicking the ball into touch for the Nigerian goalkeeper to receive attention.

When Joyonline contacted Amoako for his reaction, he was surprised at the news.

Ironically, Prince Amoako’s inclusion in the Black Stars squad for Mali stirred up a lot of controversy because many people felt he had done enough to justify his inclusion in the team.

In a related development, the operations director of Africa soccer television- West Africa, Consequently, Prince Amoako will be expected to make the trip to South Africa and receive his award.

Another person who has an award in his kitty already is Abdelhamid Bassiouny of Egypt who set a world record by scoring a hat trick in 117 seconds in a World Cup qualifier against Namibia. He would receive the Merit Award.

Nataschia Tsichlas an administrator of Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa is the winner of the Women in Football Achievement Award, while Tamer Ismaila has been declared the Best Futsal player.

Petro Atletico of Angola was accorded the Special Achievement Award as "it stands like an oasis with their superb club structure and ambitious ideas in a war ravaged country". "They serve as an example to the rest of the continent who too often blame a lack of Professionalism on the poor conditions around them," the CAF citation said.

Another winner who has already been decided is Said Belqola, the Moroccan referee who handled the World Cup final between France and Brazil in France in 1998.

Being the only African to have officiated in a World Cup final from the centre, Belqola has been awarded the Career Merit Award for "honouring Africa" by his distinctive performance.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria do not have any challengers in the FIFA Fair Play award category on the continent as they attracted the fewest number of cautions in the qualifying stage of the African Cup of Nations.

The Eagles got just five cautions in all six qualifying matches and Sunday Oliseh, captain of the side will be in South Africa to receive the award on behalf of the team.