Former Super Eagles winger and 1994 AFCON winner, Emmanuel Amuneke, has addressed the recent controversy surrounding his alleged vote in the 2023 CAF Player of The Year award.

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The award was ultimately claimed by Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, but Amuneke faced backlash after a video from CAF surfaced, appearing to show him selecting Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah over Osimhen.

In response to the criticism, Amuneke vehemently denied participating in the voting process, asserting, “First of all, I want you to understand the rumors that you guys are spreading concerning me not voting for Osimhen. I was never elected to vote.” He conveyed this message on a WhatsApp group named Nigerian Sports Village Square.

Amuneke clarified the context of the video, explaining that during a discussion on the Arabian team en route to a novelty game in Marrakech, a former Egyptian national team player and captain, who is now a TV producer in Egypt, posed the question of choosing between Hachraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah. According to Amuneke, Osimhen was only mentioned briefly in the conversation, and when asked to choose, he picked Salah based on his experiences playing and living in Egypt.

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Expressing delight in Osimhen’s achievement, Emmanuel Amuneke emphasized, “So, there is nothing like voting against Osimhen. Osimhen is our player and our boy.

We are happy about what he has achieved, and we hope he will continue to dream and achieve more for the betterment of his career and the betterment of Nigeria.”

Having coached Osimhen and his teammates to Nigeria’s fifth U-17 World Cup triumph in Chile in 2015, Amuneke concluded by expressing hope for Osimhen’s continued success in the game.

Emmanuel Amuneke himself is a former recipient of the CAF Player of The Year award in 1994.