Enyeama loses, as Brahimi wins BBC African Footballer award

The 24-year-old midfielder becomes the first Algerian to win the award, which is decided by football fans.
After a record number of votes were submitted from fans in 207 FIFA-registered countries, Brahimi came out top ahead of Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair Gervinho and Yaya Toure.
Enyeama, Aubameyang and Toure are also in the race for the CAF African Footballer of the Year Award to be announced on January 8 next year in Lagos.
The loss climaxed a miserable year for Nigerian football, as the country’s senior national football team, the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations fiesta in to be held Equatorial Guinea.
The only Nigerian that won the BBC African Footballer of the Year was Austin JJ Okocha, who clinched the award in 2003 and 2004 while playing for Bolton in the English Premier League.
For the award winner, Brahimi shone for both club and country during 2014 season.
He starred for Algeria at the World Cup in Brazil, helping them reach the last-16 for the first time and scoring his first international goal in the 4-2 win over South Korea in the group stage.
Domestically, Brahimi started the year at Spanish club Granada, where his strong performances led to him being named best African player in the country last season, and earned him a move to Portuguese giants Porto.
He has scored six goals in 15 appearances for his new club and is reveling in the challenge of European Champions League football, where he hit a hat-trick in the club’s first group match.
Brahimi will also be part of Algeria’s squad to play in the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea from 17 January to 8 February.