Premier League champions, Chelsea, have joined Nigerians to applaud the nomination of Victor Moses for the 2017 African Player of the Year award.
Moses, 26, was among 30 stars shortlisted for the continent’s most prestigious individual honour by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday.
“Victor Moses is among the contenders to win the African Footballer of the Year award,” a club statement revealed.
“The 30-man shortlist was announced today and Moses, a key figure in our Premier League title triumph last season, is in contention to win the prize.
“Moses, deployed in a right wing-back role by Antonio Conte at the start of last season, was a regular for the Blues as we secured the title, with the Nigerian flourishing due to a combination of his natural attacking qualities and the ability to defend in a mature way when the opposition are in possession.
“As well as his success at club level, Moses was an integral part of the Nigeria squad which qualified for next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia. He scored a brace in their 3-1 qualifying win over Algeria, as well as netting as they recorded a 4-0 victory against Cameroon.
“Moses will be aiming to become only the second Chelsea player to lift the award after Didier Drogba took the prize on two separate occasions, in 2009 and 2006.
“Both John Mikel Obi and Michael Essien finished in the top three at various points.”
The winner of the award will be announced at a ceremony in the Ghanaian capital Accra on January 4, 2018.
