- 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.
Leonel Ateba Christian Mbida checks into the national team camp
Ateba began his career at YAFOOT FC before switching to AS Etoa Meki with whom he finished two seasons as the club’s top scorer and reached the semi-final of the 2019 Cup of Cameroon though operating mostly as a winger.
He later joined AS Fortuna for his first top-flight experience before switching to Cotonsport where he won the Elite One championship and reached the group stage of the CAF Champions League before joining PWD of Bamenda for just a season before joining Dynamo of Douala.
Leonel Ateba Christian Mbida celebrates goal for Dynamo of Douala
Tanzania-based Malone skippered Cotonsport through a playoffs triumph without blemish as coach Jean Baptiste Bisseck’s team won the league via the playoffs without conceding.
Che, winner of the 2023 Mboafoot Cameroon player of the year award will not be in attendance at tonight’s event as kick442.com understands logistics challenges impeded his trip to Yaoundé.
Chadian goalkeeper Gabin Allabatman of Cotonsport is a surprised ommission from the player of the year category but his perfect playoff campaign earned him place in the goalkeeper of the season race alongside Emile Lako of Cotonsport and Jourdain Mbaiynassem of Canon Yaoundé.
There are over six categories of awards to be announced at tonight’s ceremony including the revelation player of the season, the goalkeeper of the season, best male and female coaches of the year among others.
The striker has been linked with a move to Simba SC, Yanga SC, plus South Africa PSL duo Amazulu and Sekkhune United FC among others.
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