AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Yacine Brahimi was voted the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014. The 24-year-old midfielder was the first Algerian to win the award, which is decided by football fans.
“It’s a big honor for me to receive this wonderful trophy,” said Brahimi, a winger for the Portuguese club team F.C. Porto. “I owe it to my country, Algeria, and to all the people who voted for me. It’s also a trophy for the whole of Africa, because it rewards an African player. So, I am really very happy.”
After fans in 207 FIFA-registered countries submitted a record number of votes, Brahimi came out ahead of Nigerian Vincent Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair Gervinho and Yaya Toure.
In 2014, Brahimi starred for Algeria at the World Cup in Brazil, helping his team reach the last 16 for the first time. He scored 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 him to be named best African player in the country, and earned him a move to Porto.