African Player of the Year

Since 1970 a prize was awarded by the magazine France Football, now discontinued. In 1991 the magazine Afrique-Football installed an award. Since 1992 the Conféderation Africaine de Football awards a prize, which is currently considered 'official'.


France Football African's Player of the Year 1970-1994

Year   Player                    Country              Club
1970   Salif KEITA               Mali                 AS Saint-Etienne (Fra)
1971   Ibrahim SUNDAY            Ghana                Asante Kotoko (Gha)
1972   Chérif SOULEYMANE         Guinea               Hafia Conakry (Gui)
1973   Tshimimu BWANGA           Zaire                TP Mazembe (Zai)
1974   Paul MOUKILA              Congo                CARA Brazzaville (Cog)
1975   Ahmed FARAS               Morocco              SC Chabab Mohammedia (Mor)
1976   Roger MILLA               Cameroon             Canon Yaoundé (Cmr)
1977   Tarak DHIAB               Tunisia              Espérance Tunis (Tun)
1978   Abdul RAZAK               Ghana                Asante Kotoko (Gha)
1979   Thomas N'KONO             Cameroon             Canon Yaoundé (Cmr)
1980   Jean MANGA-ONGUENE        Cameroon             Canon Yaoundé (Cmr)
1981   Lakhdar BELLOUMI          Algeria              GCR Mascara (Alg)
1982   Thomas N'KONO             Cameroon             RCD Español (Esp)
1983   Mahmmoud AL-KHATIB        Egypt                Al-Ahly (Egy)
1984   Téophile ABEGA            Cameroon             Toulouse FC (Fra)
1985   Mohammed TIMOUMI          Morocco              FAR Rabat (Mor)
1986   Badou ZAKI                Morocco              RCD Mallorca (Esp)
1987   Rabah MADJER              Algeria              FC Porto (Por)
1988   Kalusha BWALYA            Zambia               Cercle Brugge (Bel)
1989   George WEAH               Liberia              AS Monaco (Fra)
1990   Roger MILLA               Cameroon             CS Saint Denis (Reu)
1991   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1992   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1993   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1994   George WEAH               Liberia              Paris Saint-Germain (Fra)

NB: France Football discontinued the election from 1995 after the 'European' 'Ballon d'Or'
    had been opened to all players in the European leagues.

Wins by player

 3 Ayew Pelé
 2 N´Kono, Milla, Weah
 1 Keita, Sunday, Souleymane, Bwanga, Moukila, Faras, Dhiab, Razak, Manga-Onguené,
   Belloumi, Al-Khatib, Abega, Timoumi, Zaki, Madjer, Bwalya

Wins by country

 6 Cameroon
 5 Ghana
 3 Morocco
 2 Algeria, Liberia  
 1 Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Tunisia, Zaire, Zambia


Afrique Football's African Player of the Year (Etoile d'Or) 1991-2003

Year   Player                    Country              Club   
1991   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1992   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1993   Rashidi YEKINI            Nigeria              Vitória FC Setúbal (Por)
1994   Emmanuel AMUNIKE          Nigeria              Sporting CP (Por)
1995   George WEAH               Liberia              Milan AC (Ita)
1996   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Ajax Amsterdam (Hol) / Inter Milan (Ita)
1997   Victor IKPEBA             Nigeria              AS Monaco (Fra)
1998   Mustafa HADJI             Morocco              Deportivo La Coruña (Spa)
1999   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Arsenal (Eng)
2000   Patrick MBOMA             Cameroon             Parma AC (Ita)
2001   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra)
2002   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra) / Liverpool FC (Eng)
2003   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Real Mallorca (Spa)

Wins by player

 2 Ayew Pelé, Kanu, Diouf
 1 Yekini, Amunike, Weah, Ikpeba, Hadji, Mboma, Eto'o

Wins by country

 5 Nigeria
 2 Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal
 1 Liberia, Morocco


CAF's African Player of the Year 1992-2022

Year   Player                    Country              Club   
1992   Abedi AYEW PELÉ           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1993   Rashidi YEKINI            Nigeria              Vitória FC Setúbal (Por)
1994   Emmanuel AMUNIKE          Nigeria              Sporting CP (Por)
1995   George WEAH               Liberia              Milan AC (Ita)
1996   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Internazionale (Ita)
1997   Victor IKPEBA             Nigeria              AS Monaco (Fra)
1998   Mustapha HADJI            Morocco              Deportivo La Coruña (Esp)
1999   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Arsenal (Eng)
2000   Patrick MBOMA             Cameroon             Parma AC (Ita)
2001   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra)
2002   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra) / Liverpool FC (Eng)
2003   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Real Mallorca (Spa)
2004   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Real Mallorca (Spa) / FC Barcelona (Spa)
2005   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             FC Barcelona (Spa)
2006   Didier DROGBA             Ivory Coast          Chelsea (Eng)
2007   Frederic KANOUTÉ          Mali                 Sevilla (Spa)
2008   Emmanuel ADEBAYOR         Togo                 Arsenal (Eng)
2009   Didier DROGBA             Ivory Coast          Chelsea (Eng)
2010   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Internazionale (Ita)
2011   Yaya TOURÉ                Ivory Coast          Manchester City (Eng)
2012   Yaya TOURÉ                Ivory Coast          Manchester City (Eng)
2013   Yaya TOURÉ                Ivory Coast          Manchester City (Eng)
2014   Yaya TOURÉ                Ivory Coast          Manchester City (Eng)
2015   Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG Gabon                Borussia Dortmund (Ger)
2016   Riyad MAHREZ              Algeria              Leicester City (Eng)
2017   Mohamed SALAH             Egypt                Liverpool FC (Eng)
2018   Mohamed SALAH             Egypt                Liverpool FC (Eng)
2019   Sadio MANÉ                Senegal              Liverpool FC (Eng)
2020     not awarded
2021     not awarded
2022   Sadio MANÉ                Senegal              Bayern München (Ger)

Wins by player

 4 Eto'o, Touré
 2 Kanu, Diouf, Drogba, Salah, Mané
 1 Ayew Pelé, Yekini, Amunike, Weah, Ikpeba, Hadji, Mboma, Kanouté, Adebayor
   Aubameyang, Mahrez

Wins by country

 6 Ivory Coast
 5 Cameroon, Nigeria
 4 Senegal
 2 Egypt
 1 Algeria, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Togo

About this document

Thanks to Roberto Di Maggio for updates

Prepared and maintained by José Luis Pierrend for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: José Luis Pierrend (josepie@hotmail.com)
Last updated: 1 Jun 2023

(C) Copyright José Luis Pierrend and RSSSF 1998/2023
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.