TO ensure that the 2009 African Footballer of the Year Awards attracts all football stakeholders in the continent, sponsor of the event, Globacom, has tied up deals with two airlines - in Nigeria and Ghana - to fly in all invited guests attending the awards ceremony in Accra from Nigeria and Benin Republic.

At that ceremony, Nigeria's Stephen Keshi, Senegal's Jules Bocande and Angola's Oswaldo Saturnini de Oliveira 'Jesus' are the three distinguished former African stars in the race for the 2009 Glo-CAF African Legend award. According to a director with a Lagos-based sports marketing firm, Ejiro Omonode, all the three candidates are qualified to grab the honour but Keshi will emerge the Legend this time.

Over 135 guests from Nigeria and 40 from Benin Republic have been invited to attend the ceremony holding on the 11th of this month at the State House Banquet Hall, Accra. This was disclosed in Lagos by Globacom's Group Chief Operating Officer, Mohamed Jameel, who said that guests from Nigeria would be flown to Ghana by Arik Air, while those from Benin Republic would fly Antrax Airlines. "As in the past years when this event held outside Nigeria, we have set up all protocols to transport our guests to and from Ghana. Over 190 guests from Nigeria and 65 from Benin Republic are expected to be on the two flights arranged for this service," Jameel said.

The guest list includes members of football and show-biz communities as well as captains of industries and political leaders. Jameel added: "We have a tradition of ensuring that our guests are treated to the best possible travel comfort and this year, Globacom has gone a step higher with the hiring of special charter aircraft that will shuttle between Accra, Cotonou and Lagos."

In the two earlier editions of the awards ceremony, Globacom provided special jets that flew in the nominees from Europe. This edition promises much more entertainment and glitz, with a number of international artistes engaged to perform at the event. Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Samuel Eto'o are the contenders for the 2009 Glo-CAF African Player of the Year award.

The African Legend award is a category set aside by the organiser, Confederation of African Football (CAF) and sponsor, Globacom, to honour retired African footballers for their contributions to the game during their playing period. Keshi led the Super Eagles under Clemens Westerhof to win the Africa Nations Cup in 1994 and to Nigeria's first World Cup appearance in the same year. He was head coach of the Togo national team when it qualified for the 2006 World Cup and was with the Mali national team at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. Bocande, who was captain of the Senegalese national team, quit in 1993 and spent his professional career in France playing for numerous French League 1 sides, including Metz, PSG, OGC Nice and RC Lens. He later managed the Senegalese national team.

Oswaldo Saturnini de Oliveira, popularly known as "Jesus" by football fans in Angola, is one of the most loved players and is currently one of the vice-presidents of the Angola Football Federation.

Former recipients of the Glo-CAF African Legend award included Raber Majer of Algeria, Laurent Pokou of Cote d'Ivoire, Thomas Nkono of Cameroun and Christian Chukwu of Nigeria.