Asamoah Gyan insists he deserves to be crowned the 2010 CAF African Footballer of the Year after being named on the 10-man shortlist.
The Ghana striker is one of the favourites to end the nation's long drought of seeing its stars win the converted individual prize since Abedi Pele completed a trio of wins in 1993.
Gyan is one of three Black Stars players alongside Andre Ayew of Marseille and AC Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng who made shortlist.
The 24-year-old striker player helped inspire Ghana to a final finish at the 2010 African Cup of Nations and then a quarter-final place at the World Cup as he scored three goals apiece in both competitions.
And that came on the back of 13 goals for club side Stade Rennes in the French Ligue 1.
Despite the fine run, Gyan faces stiff competition from Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto’o Fils and Ivorian, Didier Drogba. However, the Ghanaian believes that his performance during the year under review puts him in a good stead to annex the individual award.
“I have done very well this year at club level, at the Nations Cup and the world cup too,” Gyan said.
“Watching my statistics this year, I think I deserve it. Talking of Didier Drogba, [he] has been my inspiration. He spoke to me when I was heavily criticised during the 2008 Nations Cup and told me to keep going.
“Eto’o is a legend but this year has been my year and even they would agree. I am nowhere near them overall and want to be like them one day but this year; I have played well to deserve the title.”
Other players in contention are Seydou Keita of Barcelona and Mali, Egypt’s Mohammed Gedo who played a major part in their Nations Cup triumph in Angola and the Ivorian Solomon Kalou as well as Madjid Boughera of Algeria and Glasgow Rangers.
The winner of each category will be decided by votes from the respective senior national teams’ Head Coaches or Technical Directors of the 53 National Associations affiliated to Caf.
The winner will be revealed at an awards Gala in the Egyptian capital Cairo on December 20.
10-man shortlist>/b>
Ahmed Hassan (Al-Ahly and Egypt), Andre Ayew (Olympique Marseille and Ghana), Kevin Prince Boateng (AC Milan and Ghana), Madjid Bougherra (Rangers and Algeria), Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire), Samuel Eto’o Fils (Inter Milan and Cameroon), Mohamed Nagy ‘Gedo’ (Al-Ahly and Egypt), Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland and Ghana), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire), and Seydou Keita (Barcelona and Mali).