Egypt duo Mohamed Abou-Treika and Amr Zaki are among five candidates for the 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year award. The list was announced on Monday, with Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and last year's winner Emmanuel Adebayor also vying for the gong. Abou-Treika and Zaki are already included in the five-man list for the 2008 CAF Footballer of the Year, which almost resembles BBC's shortlist. Votes are ultimately carried out by football fans, who can make their choices until January 9th, after which the results will be announced. Ahli winger Mohamed Barakat won the prestigious award in 2005, when Ahli were crowned African champions.
Barakat was the last Egyptian to win the award Nations Cup Impact Abou-Treika and Zaki were instrumental in Egypt's 2008 African Cup of Nations triumph in Ghana, where they contributed to more than half of the Pharaohs' goals between them. Moreover, the duo enjoyed a magnificent year with their respective clubs. Abou-Treika helped Ahli clinch a record sixth CAF Champions League title, scoring some crucial goals en route to the final. He also won the Egyptian league with the Reds. Wigan ace Zaki established himself with the Premiership side to become one of the most lethal strikers in England, grabbing the attention of some of Europe's powerhouses.
