Former Super Eagles winger, Tijani Babangida has backed John Obi Mikel to win the 2013 edition of the BBC African Footballer of vthe year award.
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The Chelsea of England midfielder is among the five men shortlisted for the award.
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Mikel's international teammate, Victor Moses as well as Ivory Coast's Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure are also on the shorlist. Jonathan Pitroipa, the Burkina Faso who won the most valuable player honour at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and Gabonese star Pierre Emerick Aubemeyang completes the shortlist.
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Babangida believes Mikel who played a pivotal role in guiding the Super Eagles to their first AFCON crown for the best part of two decades is the most suitable man to go home with the prize.
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He declared:Mikel certainly has a good chance of winning the BBC award than the other guys on the list.
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''He played a pivotal role in the Super Eagles AFCON success in South Africa and was also one of the top performers at the Confederations Cup in Brazil.If you also consider his performance in the qualifiers so far, you have to consider him good enough for the award."
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The last Nigerian to win the award was Austine Jay Jay Okocha in 2004.The winner will be announced on December 2.