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Who are the names you’d find in the list of African footballer of the year till date? The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Award is given yearly to the best African player since it began in 1992. The current African Player of the Year is Sadio Mane of Senegal both in 2019 and 2022. With this, Mane now joins the multiple winners of the CAF player of the year award.
The awards have finally been held again with a list of nominees for the 2022 CAF awards released.
Although the award started off as France Football Award between 1970 and 1994 and was organised by France Football magazine.
The France Football award had to be stopped in 1995 after the European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d’Or) award was opened to players of non-European nationality. That first edition was awarded to George Weah on 24 December 1995.
So I will commence this list of African footballer of the year till date with when it was France Football Award and then move to when CAF took it over.
African Player Of The Year Till Date
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France Football award (1970–1994)
1970
1st: Salif Keïta – Mali (Saint-Étienne, France)
- 2nd: Laurent Pokou – Ivory Coast (ASEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
- 2nd : Ali Abo Greisha – Egypt (Ismaily, Egypt)
1971
1st: Ibrahim Sunday – Ghana (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
- 2nd: Robert Mensah – Ghana (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
- 3rd: François Ndoumbé – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
1972
1st: Chérif Souleymane – Guinea (Hafia, Guinea)
- 2nd: Bwanga Tshimen – Zaire (TP Mazembe, Zaire)
- 3rd: Petit Sory – Guinea (Hafia, Guinea)
1973
1st: Bwanga Tshimen – Zaire (TP Mazembe, Zaire)
- 2nd: Kazadi Mwamba – Zaire (TP Mazembe, Zaire)
- 3rd: Laurent Pokou – Ivory Coast (ASEC Abidjan, Ivory Coast)
1974
1st: Paul Moukila – Congo (CARA Brazzaville, Congo)
- 2nd: Lobilo Boba – Zaire (Vita Club, Zaire)
- 3rd: Hassan Shehata – Egypt (Zamalek, Egypt)
1975
1st: Ahmed Faras – Morocco (Mohammédia, Morocco)
- 2nd: Roger Milla – Cameroon (Tonnerre Yaoundé, Cameroon)
- 2nd: Mamadou Aliou Kéïta – Guinea (Hafia, Guinea)
1976
1st: Roger Milla – Cameroon (Tonnerre Yaoundé, Cameroon)
- 2nd: Papa Camara – Guinea (Hafia, Guinea)
- 3rd: Ali Bencheikh – Algeria (MC Alger, Algeria)
1977
1st: Tarak Dhiab – Tunisia (Espérance Tunis, Tunisia)
- 2nd: Papa Camara – Guinea (Hafia, Guinea)
- 3rd: Segun Odegbami – Nigeria (Shooting Stars, Nigeria)
1978
1st: Karim Abdul Razak – Ghana (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
- 2nd: Ali Bencheikh – Algeria (MC Alger, Algeria)
- 3rd: Thomas N’Kono – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
1979
1st: Thomas N’Kono – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
- 2nd: Adolf Armah – Ghana (Hearts of Oak, Ghana)
- 3rd: Kerfalla Bangoura – Guinea (Horoya, Guinea)
1980
1st: Jean Manga-Onguéné – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
- 2nd: Segun Odegbami – Nigeria (Shooting Stars, Nigeria)
- 3rd: Théophile Abega – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
1981
1st: Lakhdar Belloumi – Algeria (GC Mascara, Algeria)
- 2nd: Thomas N’Kono – Cameroon (Canon Yaoundé, Cameroon)
- 3rd: Ali Fergani – Algeria (JS Kabylie, Algeria)
1982
1st: Thomas N’Kono – Cameroon (Espanyol, Spain)
- 2nd: Salah Assad – Algeria (Mulhouse, France)
- 3rd: Lakhdar Belloumi – Algeria (GC Mascara, Algeria)
1983
1st: Mahmoud El Khatib – Egypt (Al Ahly, Egypt)
- 2nd: Opoku Nti – Ghana (Asante Kotoko, Ghana)
- 3rd: Rafiou Moutairou – Togo (OC Agaza, Togo)
1984
1st: Théophile Abega – Cameroon (Toulouse, France)
- 2nd: Joseph-Antoine Bell – Cameroon (Al Mokawloon Al Arab, Egypt)
- 2nd: Ibrahim Youssef – Egypt (Zamalek, Egypt)
1985
1st: Mohamed Timoumi – Morocco (AS FAR, Morocco)
- 2nd: Rabah Madjer – Algeria (Porto, Portugal)
- 3rd: Ibrahim Youssef – Egypt (Zamalek, Egypt)
1986
1st: Ezzaki Badou – Morocco (Mallorca, Spain)
- 2nd: Aziz Bouderbala – Morocco (Sion, Switzerland)
- 3rd: Roger Milla – Cameroon (Montpellier, France)
1987
1st: Rabah Madjer – Algeria (Porto, Portugal)
- 2nd: Youssouf Falikou Fofana – Ivory Coast (Monaco, France)
- 3rd: François Omam-Biyik – Cameroon (Laval, France)
1988
1st: Kalusha Bwalya – Zambia (Cercle Brugge, Belgium)
- 2nd: Roger Milla – Cameroon (Montpellier, France)
- 3rd: Youssouf Falikou Fofana – Ivory Coast (Monaco, France)
1989
1st: George Weah – Liberia (Monaco, France)
- 2nd: Joseph-Antoine Bell – Cameroon (Bordeaux, France)
- 3rd: Kalusha Bwalya – Zambia (PSV, Netherlands)
1990
1st: Roger Milla – Cameroon (Saint-Pierroise, Réunion)
- 2nd: Tahar Chérif El-Ouazzani – Algeria (Aydınspor, Turkey)
- 3rd: Rabah Madjer – Algeria (Porto, Portugal)
- 3rd: François Omam-Biyik – Cameroon (Rennes, France)
1991
1st: Abedi Pele – Ghana (Marseille, France)
- 2nd: George Weah – Liberia (Monaco, France)
- 3rd: François Omam-Biyik – Cameroon (Cannes, France)
1992
1st: Abedi Pele – Ghana (Marseille, France)
- 2nd: George Weah – Liberia (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- 3rd: Tony Yeboah – Ghana (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
1993
1st: Abedi Pele – Ghana (Marseille, France)
- 2nd: Tony Yeboah – Ghana (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
- 3rd: Rashidi Yekini – Nigeria (Vitória de Setúbal, Portugal)
1994
1st: George Weah – Liberia (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- 2nd: Emmanuel Amunike – Nigeria (Sporting CP, Portugal)
- 3rd: Daniel Amokachi – Nigeria (Everton, England)
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CAF Awards Winners (1992–present)
1992
1st: Abedi Pele – Ghana (Marseille, France)
1994
1st: Emmanuel Amunike – Nigeria (Sporting CP, Portugal)
- 2nd: George Weah – Liberia (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- 2nd: Rashidi Yekini – Nigeria (Olympiacos, Greece)
1995
1st: George Weah – Liberia (Milan, Italy)
- 2nd: Emmanuel Amunike – Nigeria (Sporting CP, Portugal)
- 3rd: Daniel Amokachi – Nigeria (Everton, England)
1996
1st: Nwankwo Kanu – Nigeria (Internazionale, Italy)
- 2nd: George Weah – Liberia (Milan, Italy)
- 3rd: Daniel Amokachi – Nigeria (Beşiktaş, Turkey)
1997
1st: Victor Ikpeba – Nigeria (Monaco, France)
- 2nd: Japhet N’Doram – Chad (Monaco, France)
- 3rd: Taribo West – Nigeria (Internazionale, Italy)
1998
1st: Mustapha Hadji – Morocco (Deportivo La Coruña, Spain)
- 2nd: Jay-Jay Okocha – Nigeria (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
- 3rd: Sunday Oliseh – Nigeria (Ajax, Netherlands)
1999
1st: Nwankwo Kanu – Nigeria (Arsenal, England)
- 2nd: Samuel Kuffour – Ghana (Bayern Munich, Germany)
- 3rd: Ibrahima Bakayoko – Ivory Coast (Marseille, France)
2000
1st: Patrick M’Boma – Cameroon (Parma, Italy)
- 2nd: Lauren – Cameroon (Mallorca, Spain)
- 3rd: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Mallorca, Spain)
2001
1st: El Hadji Diouf – Senegal (Lens, France)
- 2nd: Samuel Kuffour – Ghana (Bayern Munich, Germany)
- 3rd: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Mallorca, Spain)
2002
1st: El Hadji Diouf – Senegal (Liverpool, England)
- 2nd: Papa Bouba Diop – Senegal (Lens, France)
- 3rd: Ahmed Hossam Mido – Egypt (Ajax, Netherlands)
2003
1st: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Mallorca, Spain)
- 2nd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Marseille, France)
- 3rd: Jay-Jay Okocha – Nigeria (Bolton Wanderers, England)
2004
1st: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Barcelona, Spain)
- 2nd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
- 3rd: Jay-Jay Okocha – Nigeria (Bolton Wanderers, England)
2005
1st: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Barcelona, Spain)
- 2nd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
- 3rd: Michael Essien – Ghana (Chelsea, England)
2006
1st: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
- 2nd: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Barcelona, Spain)
- 3rd: Michael Essien – Ghana (Chelsea, England)
2007
1st: Frédéric Kanouté – Mali (Sevilla, Spain)
- 2nd: Michael Essien – Ghana (Chelsea, England)
- 3rd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
2008
1st: Emmanuel Adebayor – Togo (Arsenal, England)
- 2nd: Mohamed Abou Trika – Egypt (Al Ahly, Egypt)
- 3rd: Michael Essien – Ghana (Chelsea, England)
2009
1st: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
- 2nd: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Internazionale, Italy)
- 3rd: Michael Essien – Ghana (Chelsea, England)
2010
1st: Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon (Internazionale, Italy)
- 2nd: Asamoah Gyan – Ghana (Sunderland, England)
- 3rd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Chelsea, England)
2011
1st: Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast (Manchester City, England)
- 2nd: Seydou Keita – Mali (Barcelona, Spain)
- 3rd: André Ayew – Ghana (Marseille, France)
2012
1st: Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast (Manchester City, England)
- 2nd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Shanghai Shenhua, China)
- 3rd: Alex Song – Cameroon (Barcelona, Spain)
2013
1st: Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast (Manchester City, England)
- 2nd: Mikel John Obi – Nigeria (Chelsea, England)
- 3rd: Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast (Galatasaray, Turkey)
2014
1st: Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast (Manchester City, England)
- 2nd: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- 3rd: Vincent Enyeama – Nigeria (Lille, France)
2015
1st: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- 2nd: Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast (Manchester City, England)
- 3rd: André Ayew – Ghana (Swansea City, Wales)
2016
1st: Riyad Mahrez – Algeria (Leicester City, England)
- 2nd: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- 3rd: Sadio Mané – Senegal (Liverpool, England)
2017
1st: Mohamed Salah – Egypt (Liverpool, England)
- 2nd: Sadio Mané – Senegal (Liverpool, England)
- 3rd: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
2018
1st: Mohamed Salah – Egypt (Liverpool, England)
- 2nd: Sadio Mané – Senegal (Liverpool, England)
- 3rd: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon (Arsenal, England)
2019
1st: Sadio Mané – Senegal (Liverpool, England)
- 2nd: Mohamed Salah – Egypt (Liverpool, England)
- 3rd: Riyad Mahrez – Algeria (Manchester City, England)
African footballer of the year 2020: ???
African footballer of the year 2021: ???
2022
1st: Sadio Mané – Senegal (Bayern Munich)
- 2nd: Mohamed Salah – Egypt (Liverpool)
- 3rd: Édouard Mendy – Senegal (Chelsea)
Wrap Up
I recorded the list of African footballer of the year till date with the winners first followed by the second and third runners-up. In some cases, two players earned second place or third place concurrently. I also added the country and the clubs beside their names. The clubs written are the ones they played for as at the time the footballer was made CAF footballer of the year.
The multiple winners of the CAF player of the year award are Samuel Eto’o (4); Yaya Touré (4); George Weah (3); Abedi Pele (3); Didier Drogba (2); Roger Milla (2); Mohamed Salah (2); Nwankwo Kanu (2); El Hadji Diouf (2); Sadio Mane (2).
See their female counterparts, African women’s footballer of the year winners.
This article was updated 2 days ago