At a ceremony in Accra on Thursday, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) bestowed its top African-based player award of 2011 to Esperance captain Oussama Darragi. The Tunisian beat out his countryman Zouhaier Dhaouadi of Club Africain as well as his Cameroonian Esperance team-mate Yaya Banana for the honour.
Darragi scored four goals and created countless others during Esperance’s successful 2011 Caf Champions League campaign that ended in the “Blood and Gold” beating Morocco’s Wydad to the title. The triumph was made even sweeter considering the disappointment and refereeing controversy that plagued last year’s edition versus TP Mazembe.
Despite Esperance finishing in sixth place at the Club World Cup in Japan, Darragi was one of their shining lights at the tournament, scoring on a header in their first match against Al Sadd to give his side hope of mounting a possible comeback in a game they lost 2-1. Aside for the Caf Champions League success, the 24-year-old also led his team to Tunisian domestic ligue and Cup titles in 2011.
Meanwhile, Darragi is set to play an integral role in the Carthage Eagles squad which has been drawn alongside 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosts Gabon, Niger, and Morocco.