Emmanuel Amuneke, a former Super Eagles winger and 1994 AFCON winner, maintains he did not cast a ballot in the 2023 CAF Player of the Year election, which Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen won.
Amuneke said this in response to criticism from his fellow Nigerians following the release of a film by CAF that appeared to show the legendary player of Nigeria selecting Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, who was also among the final nominees along with Moroccan Hachraf Hakimi, higher up the pecking order.
Amuneke, who also coached Osimhen and his teammates to Nigeria’s fifth U-17 World Cup triumph in Chile 2015, has come under fire over the video, but he maintained that Osimhen was not in the discourse when he mentioned Salah.
“First of all, I want you to understand the rumours that you guys are spreading concerning me not voting Osimhen. I was never elected to vote,” Amuneke said on a WhatsApp group Nigerian Sports Village Square.
“On our way to the novelty game that we played in Marrakech, a former player and captain of the Egyptian national team – who is preparing himself to become a TV producer in Egypt – with his group, he was debating on the Arabian team, and he raised the question between Hakimi and Salah.
“There was a time Osimhen was mentioned in that discussion. He came to me and asked ‘Hakimi or Salah’. I have to say Salah. And the reason why I said Salah was because I played in Egypt and I lived in Egypt and I know some of the guys there,” Amuneke explained.
He also expressed delight in Osimhen’s emergence with the hope that the Napoli striker will reach greater heights in the game.
“So, there is nothing like voting against Osimhen. Osimhen is our player and our boy. We are happy about what he has achieved and we hope he will continue to dream and achieve more for the betterment of his career and the betterment of Nigeria.”
Amuneke also won the CAF Player of The Year award in 1994.
