African Footballer of the Year Award



George Weah, Milan 1995

African Footballer of the Year winner, George Weah, 1995.

Photo: Allsport / Wikimedia Commons


The African Footballer of the Year Award is awarded annually by CAF (the Confederation of African Football). CAF have been officially running the award since 1992, however, France Football magazine ran a similar award from 1970 and the winners of their award are also considered as official up until the point that CAF took over.

Whilst Africa's tradition for producing fantastic forwards has seen the award dominated by attacking players, it's also good to see that some of the greatest African goalkeepers have also been acknowledged down the years, as well as some of the continent's fine midfielders.


AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Year Winner Nationality Club
2019 Sadio Mané Senegal Liverpool
2018 Mo Salah Egypt Liverpool
2017 Mo Salah Egypt Liverpool
2016 Riyad Mahrez Algeria Leicester City
2015 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Gabon Borussia Dortmund
2014 Yaya Touré Ivory Coast Manchester City
2013 Yaya Touré Ivory Coast Manchester City
2012 Yaya Touré Ivory Coast Manchester City
2011 Yaya Touré Ivory Coast Manchester City
2010 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon Inter
2009 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast Chelsea
2008 Emmanuel Adebayor Togo Arsenal
2007 Freddie Kanoute Mali Sevilla
2006 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast Chelsea
2005 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon Barcelona
2004 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon Barcelona
2003 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon Mallorca
2002 El Hadji Diouf Senegal Liverpool
2001 El Hadji Diouf Senegal Rennes
2000 Patrick Mboma Cameroon Parma
1999 Nwankwo Kanu Nigeria Arsenal
1998 Mustapha Hadji Morocco Deportivo La Coruña
1997 Victor Ikpeba Nigeria Monaco
1996 Nwankwo Kanu Nigeria Inter
1995 George Weah Liberia Milan
1994 George Weah Liberia Paris Saint-Germain
1994 Emmanuel Amunike Nigeria Sporting Lisbon
1993 Abédi Pelé Ghana Lyon
1992 Abédi Pelé Ghana Marseille
1991 Abédi Pelé Ghana Marseille
1990 Roger Milla Cameroon St Denis
1989 George Weah Liberia Monaco
1988 Kalusha Bwalya Zambia Cercle Bruges
1987 Rabah Madjer Algeria FC Porto
1986 Badou Ezaki Morocco Mallorca
1985 Mohamed Timoumi Morocco Royal Armed Forces
1984 Theophile Abega Cameroon Toulouse
1983 Mahmoud Al-Khatib Egypt Al Ahli
1982 Thomas N'Kono Cameroon Espanyol
1981 Lakhdar Belloumi Algeria GCR Mascara
1980 Jean Manga Onguene Cameroon Canon Yaounde
1979 Thomas N'Kono Cameroon Canon Yaounde
1978 Karim Abdoul Razak Ghana Asante Kotoko
1977 Tarak Dhiab Tunisia Esperance
1976 Roger Milla Cameroon Canon Yaounde
1975 Ahmed Faras Morocco Mohammedia
1974 Paul Moukila Congo CARA Brazzaville
1973 Tshimen Bwanga Zaire TP Mazembe Englebert
1972 Cherif Souleymane Guinea Hafia
1971 Ibrahim Sunday Ghana Asante Kotoko
1970 Salif Keïta Mali St Etienne


MOST AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Who's won the African Footballer of the Year most times? Well, Samuel Eto'o became the first player to win the award three times back in 2005, and the great Camerron striker would add a fourth award in 2010 during his two-year spell at Inter, whilst Yaya Touré's fantastic form with Manchester City would see him win the award four years in a row, from 2011 to 2014.

Award Wins Player Nationality Seasons
4 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon 2003 2004 2005 2010
4 Yaya Touré Ivory Coast 2011 2012 2013 2014
3 George Weah Liberia 1989 1994 1995
3 Abédi Pelé Ghana 1991 1992 1993
2 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast 2006 2009
2 Roger Milla Cameroon 1976 1990
2 Mo Salah Egypt 2017 2018
2 Nwankwo Kanu Nigeria 1996 1999
2 El Hadji Diouf Senegal 2001 2002