By Sandra Birungi

Although they did not win the AFCON 2013 finals, Burkina Faso managed to come to the lime light when one of their players, Jonathan Pitroipa was named the most valuable player for the season.

The 26-year-old is a winger for French club Stade Rennais. He joined Burkina Faso in 2006 and has featured at the 2010, 2012 and 2013 editions of the AFCON. This year, Pitroipa scored two goals for Burkina Faso and reached the final.

Other players who were recognized during the AFCON finals are Nigeria’s Emmanuel Emenike who won the Golden Boot after scoring four goals and Victor Moses scooped the Fair player Award. Coach Stephen Keshi also matched the record of late Egyptian manager Mahmoud El-Gohary, who was the only man to win the tournament as a player and coach.

Pitroipa scored in the quarter finals against Togo with a 1-0 win and in the 4-0 drubbing of Ethiopia in Group C. Pitroipa was on the receiving end of a highly-controversial refereeing decision when he was sent off by Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi after he was given a second yellow card for alleged simulation in the semi-final win over Ghana.

However, after Jdidi admitted he was wrong to give Pitroipa his marching orders.