Ghana awaits Drogba, Eto’o

Accra will come alive today for the 2009 African Player of the year award. The successor to Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor will be announced today at the award ceremony, which will be held at the Ghana State House Banquet Hall.

Drogba’s return to Ghana

Cote d’Ivoire and Chelsea hitman Didier Drogba is gunning for a second win at the Glo-CAF Award. Coincidentally, the 2005 award that the Ivorian captain and talisman won was staged in Accra. Drogba had a little above average 2008/2009 season appearing 43 times for both club and country and scoring 16 goals.

Didier had an altercation with CAF in 2008, when he alleged that he was not given the award because he did not travel to Togo where the award ceremony was held - at the same time the Africa Cup of Nations Cup was holding in Ghana. Malian Freddy Kanoute was declared the winner. Nonetheless, Drogba is rated as one of the best strikers in world football.

Eto’o’s record

It will be a record if evergreen striker, Samuel Eto’o is named winner as he would have won it four times. He had a terrific season with Barcelona, scoring in a second Champions League final against Manchester United in Rome. He scored an outstanding 39 goals in 54 appearances whilst not being the penalty taker for Barcelona before he was sold in acrimonious terms to Inter Milan.

Samuel Eto’o has established himself at the top of the game with a combination of pace and deadly accuracy in front of goal.

Michael Essien, the Bison

Competing with Drogba and Eto’o for the award is Ghanaian Michael Essien.

The Bison, as Michael Essien is known, combines all the characteristics of the modern footballer. Strong, very mobile, good passing range and a powerful shot make the Ghanaian captain the quintessential midfield player. Currently injured, both club and country have felt the effect of his absence. He also has the attribute of being able to play in various positions on the pitch. The only conceivable position he has not been tried in is as a goalkeeper.

Setting the venue

True Colour Events Company, the event managers for the awards, has transformed the State House Banquet Hall into ‘Glo-land’ of sorts with the brand colours of Globacom, sponsors of the event draped from floor to ceiling of the expansive hall, which has played host to some very important events in Ghana.

The transformation achieved in less than three days has over 100 experts comprising technicians, interior design concept developers, and decorators under the supervision of Bobby Scott, the head of the South African company. Scott, enjoying a fourth spell as event management team leader for the awards ceremony described their experience in Accra as very valuable.

“We have organised this event in three other countries, here in Accra, then Togo and Nigeria. The experiences have enriched us and this time in Accra, it has been quite valuable in terms of building our capacity,” Scott is quoted as saying on the Globacom website.

All the 100 tables for the dinner event will have chandeliers while the seats will be draped with black and green fabrics.

Over 40 tonnes of equipment were brought in for the music system, sound and visual programming, stage lighting and the wow effects. “This time, the theme of the awards ceremony is to ‘the fire within Africa’ and we have had to procure the right equipment that will translate this theme into an experience for every guest”, Scott explained. To this end he said, “The lighting effect has been designed to manifest the theme ‘the fire within Africa”.

Tight security for guests

Globacom officials have said that arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of all the guests to the awards ceremony. Mohamed Jameel, Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer disclosed this in a statement in which he said that the services of Yutees Security Service have been contracted to compliment the Ghanaian security agencies at the venue of the event and the surrounding areas.

“Accra is a peaceful city with very little security concerns but we cannot be complacent in a situation where the most important people in world football will be gathering, hence Yutees Security Service, which enjoys top rating has been retained. The company will be deploying over 50 men to support the over 70 officers from the various arms of the Ghana National Security Service detailed to secure the event,” Jameel said.

He warned people who have not been invited to the event to stay away as admission into the venue will be strictly on invitation. It remains to be seen whether Michael Essien will be in Accra because of the medical rehabilitation that he is undergoing in France.

The event is expected to start at 18:00Hrs GMT.

Nominees - Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana) and Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) .