BBC World Football reporter, Osasu Obayiuwana has reacted to the controversial voting pattern for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards showing how Nigerian delegates voted for best footballers.

The pattern released by CAF revealed that Obayiuwana and other Nigerian voters, except Nwankwo Kanu and Perpetua Nkwocha, voted Odion Ighalo and Asisat Oshoala as their best choice for the Men and Women categories of the African Footballer of the Year Awards.

Reacting to the social media outrage which trailed the release of the voting pattern, the journalist said he is not obliged to vote Oshoala as his duty as a voter is to Africa and not Nigeria

He took to his Twitter page and wrote:

“Right… I understand that some members of @nigeria’s media are unhappy that I didn’t vote for @asisato1 to become the @CAF_Online AFOTY. That’s a shame. But I am NOT obliged to vote for her.

“My duty, as a voter, is not to @Nigeria, but to African football. If I think a Nigerian player is the best, I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for him or her. But I wouldn’t vote for them just because they are Nigerian. I have a professional reputation to protect, in all that I do.

“Congratulations to her, on yet another title. But in my opinion, Tabitha Chawinga is the best woman football in Africa, bar NONE. The only reason she is not winning the AFOTY title is because she’s Malawian. And they don’t play in the @CAF_AWCON.

“Asisat is a damn good footballer, no question. This is not even the point. It’s just that I don’t think she is the best in Africa for 2019.

“@sommbonu of @SuperSportTV, who is not exactly ignorant about women’s football in Africa, made exactly the same first choice as I did. You think she didn’t vote for Asisat out of a lack of love for @Nigeria?

“I didn’t make my @CAF_Online  Awards selections based on whether the nominee is from @Nigeria or not. I voted based on whether I think, on the facts available to me, they are the best in Africa at the present time.

“My duty, as a voter, is not to @Nigeria, but to African football. If I think a Nigerian player is the best, I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for him or her. But I wouldn’t vote for them just because they are Nigerian. I have a professional reputation to protect, in all that I do.

“I am sure that I am going to get a few reactions from Nigerian twitter. So, let’s see what comes.”

 

 

See Osasu’s tweet:

Right… I understand that some members of @nigeria’s media are unhappy that I didn’t vote for @asisato1 to become the @CAF_Online AFOTY. That’s a shame. But I am NOT obliged to vote for her. pic.twitter.com/xQbG1Q9psV

— Osasu Obayiuwana (@osasuo) January 9, 2020