Alex Iwobi has been crowned the Confederation of African Football’s Youth Player of the Year for 2016.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder only made his first Premier League start for Arsenal in March but quickly became a regular in Arsene Wenger’s starting lineups and was awarded a new deal in October. He currently has five goals to his name in 40 appearances for the Gunners.
Iwobi has also been making waves at international level, netting his first competitive goal for Nigeria in their World Cup qualifier against Zambia.
Honoured To Be Awarded The CAF Youth Player Of The Year In 2016. Hoping For More Success In The Future ??⚽ pic.twitter.com/eguZ4YXkya
— Alexander Iwobi (@alexiwobi) January 5, 2017
The Youth Player of the Year award is a relatively new award from CAF, only in its third year. The Most Promising Talent of the Year gong, slightly more prestigious, was awarded to Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho.
Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez pipped Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang and Sadio Mane for the continent’s Player of the Year award.
Congrats to our lad. Who needs the other, ‘slightly more prestigious’award when there’s an innate promise with Alex? I was looking forward to him playing in a more central role and liked what I saw. We are yet to see where his skill set is most useful.
He only started playing a winger after his break through. His best always came behind the target man.
This kid’s going places; not the top of the Premier League, but places. I kid, I kid. Congrats
He would if he leaves for a rival.
To all that disagree: all ex gunners whom then played for the rest of big 4 during the last decade
Ashley Cole. Cesc Fabregas
van Persie
Nasri. Clichy. Toure. Adebayor. Sagna
All have won the title at least once.
Ashley cole had won with us. Fabregas saw his career flake at Barça, when he came back Özil had taken his place. Clichy, Touré and Sagna were over the hill. Only Van Persie really grates, Oh and Nasri remains a twat.
So? In those years we didnt win a single title while all ex gunners playing for our biggest rivals won it. “ALL” of them. Argue it but it remains a fact. (an average of 1.5 title for each of these 8 compared to our 0.0 or better said 0.4 cup per season per each ex gunner and I didnt even count Anelka.)
So what you are trying to say is if you want to hv success or win something at least once you need to get the hell out from arsenal. Well, u can do that too. Switch your loyalty to a winning club then & switch to another the following season to whichever team that wins. If accepting lost, being loyal to your club during ups and downs doesn’t suits you, Then by all means, get the hell out of arsenal.
Yes, they win titles. But I wouldn’t feel anything.
If arsenal win title again, I will be over the moon.
Erm Rashwo I’m pretty sure Sagna hasn’t won a league title at City… So not exactly ‘fact’ but I do get your point.
Let’s not call them names. They were all great players while at Arsenal who just happened to be here at a hard period. I’m not sure had they stayed they’d win us more titles (we sold them for good money and bought some good replacements and payed stadium debts). We needed that income. They went on with their carears and had some ups and downs still they were once our lovely gooners and I’d always respect that. How would you forget van Persie’s wonder shots or Nasri’s magic. Oh almost missed captain Fantastic. Would our last title be in gold… Read more »
Just because we have different views it makes you call other people “not a fan”? Well see I’m just a fan who badly wants his team to bring back them tears of joy, the reason to shout “kings of London baby” in street, a f^ing cup after years of trust and money put in his club. I dont care what you want from your club. I want the 90s Arsenal I grew up loving to be back at its best again.
If they all stayed, thats quite a team….
Christ the cynics on this board! The bloke has JUST been awarded and all you can do is whine about how good would it be if he facks off to a rival…
What have I done to deserve such fellow fans.
very talented fella but still raw.
Has very immature decision making
Most young players can be accused of that. Experience and time will improve him.
His decision making is in fact, remarkable for his young age. Hardly puts in a wrong step except a few times per match.
Easy to forget what it means to be twenty when you’ve well fucked off past the age but decisiveness and composure usually aren’t anyone’s best suits around that time of life.
Congrats my big brother
The sky is your stepping stone
congratulations @iwobi more accolade as you continue improving your game
Congratulations to Iwobi.
Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s Player of the Year award. She plays for Arsenal Ladies and Nigeria.
Rashwho! Is a man u fan trying to wind people up here! Go on run along…
Congs to our young goon; he is just getting started! On another note, there’s now a strong and increasingly influential contingent of African players in the EPL and throughout Europe. Lucky we have ‘only’ Elneny going away this January. CAF better wake up and relocate the Nations Cup to summer.
The summer is the rainy season in many African countries, which would really limit the number of places where games can be played. Rather than do that, I think they need to make it every 4 years rather than every 2 as it currently is. Adds a bit of prestige to a tournament too, I think.
Good point. But unfortunately they can’t do that because African football is still developing (underdeveloped?); & CAF reckons having the tournament more frequently (biennially) will fast-track the development. So I guess it behooves the European clubs who sign these players to plan for life without them during the tournament