The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football (soccer) player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football(CAF) since 1992. 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 Pelé and George Weah ABDIKARIIM MAGAN1993 and 1994 by the magazine although the CAF sponsored awards for those years were won respectively by Rashidi Yekini and Emmanuel Amuneke. 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[1].[1]
On 2 February 2008, Sevilla FC's Frédéric Kanouté was named the 2007 African Footballer of the Year. Kanouté is the first European-born player to win the award (Kanouté plays for his father's native country of Mali).[2][3]
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday in Lagos, Nigeria, announced the final shortlist of categories for the Glo-CAF Awards 2008. The final three for the title was decided following votes from the head coaches of the 53 national associations affiliated to CAF.
For the topmost honour, Glo-CAF Player of the Year across the world, the contenders are Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo), Michael Essien (Chelsea and Ghana), and Mohamed Aboutrika (Al-Ahly and Egypt).
The winner will be announced at the awards gala on 10 February, in Lagos, Nigeria. [4].
Mohamed Aboutrika (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic, Egypt), Didier Drogba (Chelsea, Cote d'Ivoire), Michael Essien (Chelsea, Ghana) and Emmanuel Adebayor, (Arsenal, Togo), made up the five shortlist for the Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year across the world. Zaki and Drogba were excluded later. [5].
[edit] Winners - CAF award (1992-)
The award by France Football magazine was awarded to the best African footballer between 1970 and 1994. The award was discontinued in 1995 after the European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'or) was opened to players 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 It had already been replaced by an official award given out by the Confederation of African Football since 1992.
[edit] Wins by country
* Known as 
DR Congo since 1997.
[edit] Wins by player
- 3 Eto'o, Weah, Abedi Pelé
- 2 N´Kono, Roger Milla, Kanu, Diouf
- 1 Kalusha Bwalya, Keita, Sunday, Souleymane, Bwanga, Moukila, Faras, Dhiab, Razak, Manga-Onguené, Belloumi, Al-Khatib, Abega, Timoumi, Zaki, Madjer, Yekini, Amunike, Weah, Ikpeba, Hadji, Mboma, Drogba, Kanoute, Adebayor
[edit] Wins by club
- 3 Marseille
- 2 Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Mallorca, Monaco, Asante Kotoko, Canon Yaoundé
- 1 Parma, Liverpool, Lens, Deportivo La Coruña, Internazionale, Sporting CP, Vitória de Setúbal, Milan, Cercle Brugge, Espanyol, Porto, Saint-Étienne, Hafia Conakry, TP Mazembe, CARA Brazzaville, Chabab Mohammedia, Espérance Tunis, GCR Mascara, Al-Ahly, Toulouse, FAR Rabat, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Tonnerre Yaoundé, Sevilla
[edit] See also
[edit] References
| African Football | | | National team competitions | | | | Club competitions | | | | Federation | | | | Prizes | | | | Sub-regions | | Northern Africa | |  | | | Western Africa | | | | Central Africa | | | | Eastern Africa | | | | Southern Africa | | | | Arab | | | | | CAFOnline.com | |
| African Footballer of the Year | | | | |
