[ 2011-12-17 ]

Andre 'Dede' Ayew Voted BBC African Footballer of the Year 2011
Ghana and Olympique de Marseille player Andre
‘Dede’ Ayew has been voted by football fans as
BBC African Footballer of the Year 2011.

The results were announced today on BBC World
Service’s global sports programme, Sport Today,
which aired live from Marseille.

The three-week vote for BBC African Footballer of
the Year 2011 began on 18 November when fans were
invited to select their African football star from
a shortlist put together by football experts
around Africa. The shortlist also included Samuel
Eto’o (Cameroon and Anzhi Makhachkala), Gervinho
(Ivory Coast and Arsenal), Seydou Keita (Mali and
Barcelona) and Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast and
Manchester City).

As he received the BBC African Footballer of the
Year 2011 award, Ayew told Sport Today: "I'm
honoured and surprised to receive this prestigious
award, especially considering the great players
who have won it in the past. I thank all the
people who voted for me, in Ghana, in Africa and
in the world. I'm going to work hard to show them
they made a good choice."

Acting Editor, BBC Africa Sport, Andres Ilves
comments: “The BBC has larger audiences in
Africa than anywhere else in the world, and we are
proud of our commitment to Africa. This annual
award recognising the African footballer of the
year is a significant event for the BBC, and marks
our ongoing commitment both to Africa and to
sport. Judging by the response we are getting -
with 50% more people taking part in the voting
compared with last year - the award’s popularity
is growing.”

Ayew also will be honoured as BBC African
Footballer of the Year 2011 in a short ceremony
ahead of Olympique de Marseille’s home game
against Lorient tomorrow, Saturday 17 December.
Ayew’s father, Ghanaian football legend, Abedi
‘Pele’, is expected to attend the event.

Ayew’s father, Ghanaian football legend,
Abedi ‘Pele’ was the first winner of the BBC
African Sports Star of the Year award when it was
launched in 1992. The award was later transformed
into the current BBC African Footballer of the
Year award. The Ayew family, famous for
contributing six top players to the Ghana national
team, now has two of its members winning the
BBC’s sports accolade.

Previous winners of the BBC African Footballer of
the Year award include Asamoah Gyan, Didier
Drogba, Mohamed Aboutrika, Emmanuel Adebayor,
Michael Essien, Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Kuffour,
Nwankwo Kanu and George Weah.

Source - BBC

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