Exclusive: Leonel Ateba to be named 2023 Cameroon footballer of the year, Che Malone to miss event

• 24-year-old Leonel Ateba Christian Mbida will succeed Marou Souaibou as the 2023 Cameroon footballer of the year
• Ateba will edge Che Malone of Simba SC and Emmanuel Mahop of Cotonsport to win the award
• The Dynamo forward bag home a huge financial compensation and a car for claiming the crown.

Dynamo of Douala forward Leonel Ateba Christian Mbida will be named 2023 Cameroon footballer of the year at the highly-awaited ceremony tonight at the Palais de Congress in Yaoundé, kick442.com has exclusively gathered.

As it stands the jury has decided to decorate Ateba at the gathering for celebration of excellence scheduled from 6pm this December 16 at the glamorous venue will see the Cameroon international pick up the award ahead Che Malone Fondoh Junior who won the league with Cotonsport and last season’s top scorer Emmanuel Mahop of Cotonsport, who scored 14 goals for Canon before joining the reigning champions.

Besides the exploits in the domestic championship, Ateba helped PWD of Bamenda reach the final of the 2023 Cup of Cameroon, scoring three goals to take his season tally to nine goals, thus explaining the jury’s decision to pick him as the successor of Marou Souaibou.

Ateba who switched to Dynamo of Douala after the PWD feat counts seven goals in the opening ten rounds of matches in the domestic championship – a performance that has helped Dynamo dominate Pool B of the championship and earned him a call to the senior national team last month and win the SYNAFOC top-flight championship player of the month for November 2023.