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OKOCHA WINS AWARD AGAIN
Nigeria and Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha
has been voted as the 2004 BBC African Footballer of
the Year.
The Super Eagles captain wins the award for the second
year running, ahead of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o Fils
and fellow Nigerian Obafemi Martins, who was third.
Okocha captained the Super Eagles to third place at the 2004 African Cup of Nations and helped guide his English club to eighth place in the Premiership last season.
"I never thought I could win it again this year," Okocha told BBC Sport. "I appreciate this one more because it's been more difficult to retain the award and I've put in a lot of hard work to see that I retain it. "I'm very happy that I accomplished it and I appreciate all the people who voted for me. "I'd like to dedicate this award to my wife and two kids they are my pillar of strength, they have given me needed support'' Okocha looked ahead to the next 12 months. "My target now is to qualify Bolton for a place in the Uefa and for Nigeria to make it to the 2006 World Cup," he said. "Hopefully I will retire from international football after the world cup.''
The award is voted for by the listeners to the BBC World Service's African sports show Fast Track and visitors to the BBC's African football website.
A total of five players made the shortlist but neither Ghana's Stephen Appiah nor the Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba made it into the top three.
CREDIT:BBC
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