A look back at 25 years of awarding African best footballers

The Confederation of African Football started awarding the continent’s best footballers and teams since 1992.

Already, 15 players have been awarded best players of the year with Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o crowned on four occasions in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

This record was equaled by Ivorian Yaya Toure in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 while former Senegal forward, El Hadji Diouf won the award twice in a row in 2001 and 2002.

The first player to be named CAF African Player of the Year on two occasions was ex-Nigeria captain, Nwankwo Kanu, in 1996 and 1999 before Ivorian Didier Drogba in 2006 and 2009.

Ivory Coast leads as the country with the most African Players of the Year award winners with Yaya Toure winning four and Didier Drogba winning two. Nigeria follows with five award winners: Kanu (2), Emmanuel Amunike (1), Rashidi Yekini (1) and Victor Ikpeba (1).

Cameroon also has five with Patrick Mboma winning once and Eto’o’s four awards.

Senegal, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Mali, Togo and Gabon won it once each.

Below is a list of player of the year award winners since the ceremony’s inception.

• 1992 – Abedi AYEW PELE (Ghana)
• 1993 – Rashidi YEKINI (Nigeria)
• 1994 – Emmanuel AMUNIKE (Nigeria)
• 1995 – George WEAH (Liberia)
• 1996 – Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)
• 1997 – Victor IKPEBA (Nigeria)
• 1998 – Mustapha HADJI (Morocco)
• 1999 – Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)
• 2000 – Patrick MBOMA (Cameroon)
• 2001 – El-Hadji DIOUF (Senegal)
• 2002 – El Hadji DIOUF (Senegal)
• 2003 – Samuel ETO’O (Cameroon)
• 2004 – Samuel ETO’O (Cameroon)
• 2005 – Samuel ETO’O (Cameroon)
• 2006 – Didier DROGBA (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2007 – Frederic KANOUTE (Mali)
• 2008 – Emmanuel ADEBAYOR (Togo)
• 2009 – Didier DROGBA (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2010 – Samuel ETO’O (Cameroon)
• 2011 – Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2012 – Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2013 – Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2014 – Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)
• 2015 – Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)
• 2016 – Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)