The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African footballer each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1992.
Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré have won the award the most times (4 wins each), Two-time winner Didier Drogba is the player with the most runner-up appearances (4), most third place finishes (3), and most times in the top three (9). The France-born Frédéric Kanouté, Riyad Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are the only European-born players to win the award (both Kanouté and Aubameyang initially featured for France's U21 squad before going on to represent Mali and Gabon, respectively).[1][2] The winner of the 2023 edition is Victor Osimhen.
History edit
An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine. The changes resulted in parallel Golden Ball awards given out to Abedi Pele and George Weah in 1993[3] and 1994[4] by the magazine, although the CAF sponsored awards for those years were won respectively by Rashidi Yekini and Emmanuel Amuneke, as well as two awards given to Abedi Pele in 1992.[5] France Football discontinued the election from 1995 after the European Ballon d'Or – also awarded by the magazine – had been opened to all players in the European leagues.[6] In 1991 the magazine Afrique Football installed an award. It was discontinued in 2003.[5]
In 2023, Algerian footballer Riyad Mahrez was not chosen as a finalist for the award.[7] Mahrez's absence was perceived as a snub by media and the Algerian football community.[8][9] Algerian manager Abdelhak Benchikha, nominated for Best African Coach, said he would not attend the CAF awards ceremony in solidarity with Mahrez, Algerian club USM Alger, and Algerian footballer Zinedine Belaid.[10] Walid Sadi, the president of the Algerian Football Federation, also said that he would not attend the ceremony as a show of support for Mahrez.[11]
Winners edit
France Football award (1970–1994) edit
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The award by France Football magazine of non-European nationality, the award being given to George Weah that year. It had already been replaced by an official award given out by the Confederation of African Football since 1992.[12]
Afrique Football award (Etoile d'Or) (1991–2003) edit
| Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991[13] | 1st |  Abedi Pele
|
 Marseille
|
206 |
| 2nd |  George Weah
|
Monaco
|
146 | |
| 3rd | Nii Lamptey
|
 Anderlecht
|
68 | |
| 1992[14] | 1st | Abedi Pele
|
Marseille
|
192 |
| 2nd | George Weah
|
Paris Saint-Germain
|
167 | |
| 3rd |  Alain Gouaméné
|
 Raja CA
|
60 | |
| 1993[15] | 1st |  Rashidi Yekini
|
 Vitória de Setúbal
|
152 |
| 2nd | Abedi Pele
|
Marseille
|
118 | |
| 3rd | Tony Yeboah
|
 Eintracht Frankfurt
|
98 | |
| 1994[16] | 1st | Emmanuel Amunike
|
Sporting CP
|
178 |
| 2nd | George Weah
|
Paris Saint-Germain
|
114 | |
| 3rd | Daniel Amokachi
|
 Everton
|
97 | |
| 1995 | 1st | George Weah
|
 Milan
|
– |
| 1996 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu
|
Internazionale
|
– |
| 1997 | 1st | Victor Ikpeba
|
Monaco
|
– |
| 1998[17] | 1st | Mustapha Hadji
|
 Deportivo La Coruña
|
– |
| 2nd | Jay-Jay Okocha
|
Paris Saint-Germain
|
– | |
| 3rd | Sunday Oliseh
|
 Ajax
|
– | |
| 1999 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu
|
Arsenal
|
– |
| 2000 | 1st |  Patrick M'Boma
|
Parma
|
– |
| 2001 | 1st |  El Hadji Diouf
|
Lens
|
– |
| 2002[18] | 1st | El Hadji Diouf
|
Liverpool
|
186 |
| 2nd | Papa Bouba Diop
|
Lens
|
64 | |
| 3rd | Samuel Eto'o
|
Mallorca
|
39 | |
| 2003[19] | 1st | Samuel Eto'o
|
Mallorca
|
169 |
| 2nd | Didier Drogba
|
Marseille
|
68 | |
| 3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
51 | |
CAF award (1992–present) edit
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Multiple winners edit
* Players in bold are currently active
| Player | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Eto'o |
4 | 2 | 2 |
| Yaya Touré |
4 | 1 | 0 |
| George Weah |
3 | 4 | 0 |
| Abedi Pele |
3 | 0 | 0 |
| Didier Drogba |
2 | 4 | 3 |
| Roger Milla |
2 | 2 | 1 |
 Mohamed Salah |
2 | 2 | 1 |
| Sadio Mané |
2 | 2 | 1 |
| Thomas N'Kono |
2 | 1 | 1 |
| Nwankwo Kanu |
2 | 0 | 0 |
| El Hadji Diouf |
2 | 0 | 0 |
Awards won by nationality edit
| Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Third places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon |
11 | 8 | 10 |
| Ghana |
6 | 8 | 7 |
| Ivory Coast |
6 | 7 | 6 |
| Nigeria |
6 | 6 | 10 |
| Senegal |
4 | 3 | 2 |
| Morocco |
4 | 2 | 0 |
 Algeria |
3 | 4 | 5 |
| Egypt |
3 | 5 | 4 |
| Liberia |
3 | 4 | 0 |
 Mali |
2 | 1 | 0 |
 Guinea |
1 | 3 | 2 |
 DR Congo |
1 | 3 | 0 |
 Gabon |
1 | 2 | 2 |
 Togo |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Zambia |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Congo |
1 | 0 | 0 |
 Tunisia |
1 | 0 | 0 |
 Chad |
0 | 1 | 0 |
Awards won by club edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Kanoute named Africa's best
- ^ "Furious Drogba Slams CAF Over Kanoute Award And Pulls Out". Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1993". Rsssf.com. 5 January 2001. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1994". Rsssf.com. 5 January 2001. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ a b "African Player of the Year". rsssf.com. 1 January 2000. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "African Player of the Year". rsssf.com. 1 January 2000. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Riyad Mahrez non retenu pour le trophée du meilleur joueur de la CAF, une omission qui fait tache" [Riyad Mahrez not selected for the CAF Best Player Award, an omission that leaves a stain.]. www.goal.com (in French). 7 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Ballon d'or africain: Hakimi parmi les trois finalistes mais une absence va faire parler" [African Ballon d'Or: Hakimi among the three finalists, but one absence will be talked about.]. RMC SPORT (in French). Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Algérie : Mahrez absent du titre de meilleur joueur, la colère des Fennecs" [Algeria: Mahrez absent from the title of best player, the anger of the Desert Foxes.]. Onze Mondial (in French). 7 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Nominé pour les CAF Awards, il surprend, "Même si j'avais été invité, je n'y serais pas allé"" [Nominated for the CAF Awards, he surprises, "Even if I had been invited, I wouldn't have gone."] (in French). 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Algeria boycotts CAF Awards over 'unfair' withdrawal of Mahrez from final list". sportsbrief.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Football: All African Footballers of the Year - Complete list". Olympics.com. 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1991". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2001. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1992". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1993". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1994". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 1998". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 2002". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "African Player of the Year 2003". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ "Victor Osimhen wins African player of the year award". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.