18 years of CAF Awards - 2009

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18 years of CAF Awards

03-05-2010

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The annual CAF Awards enters its 18^th edition this year and the Awards Gala will take place for the second time in Ghana’s capital, Accra.

On Thursday, March 11, the King of African football will be unveiled at the Banquet Hall, State House amongst the three contenders Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire) and Michael Essien (Ghana).

From 1992 to 2008, Ghana’s Abedi Pele to Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo, 13 players have lay claim to the most prestigious individual honour in African football. Cameroonian Eto’o has been crowned thrice in succession between 2003 and 2005, whilst Senegalese forward, El Hadji Diouf was decorated twice on the trot, 2001 and 2002.

Also, the first man to have been named African footballer of the Year twice remains Nigerian veteran Kanu Nwankwo, in 1996 and 1999.

Winners of the prestigious honour have come from the middle part of the pitch and the goal merchants, and that rule will surely be continued as the contenders for 2009 is made up two strikers (Eto’o and Drogba) and a midfielder (Essien).

The 13 players to have been decorated since 1992 had and continue to remain amongst the foremost of ambassadors ever to kicked the globular leather.

The are also several others who came closest, including Ivorian goalkeeper Alain Gouaméné in 1992, Moroccan defender Noureddine Naybet was rated sixth in 1993, Nigerian Daniel Amokachi regularly featured among the top ten while Chadian Japhet N'Doram was virtually handicapped by the non-presence of his national team at the final phase of a major continental championship.

South African defender Mark Fish settled for sixth position in 1996.

When the roll call for the laureates is launched, there is a very noticeable observation; Nigeria is the country which has the biggest number of laureates with five awards in total, two for Kanu, one for Emmanuel Amunike, one for Rashidi Yekini, and the other for Victor Ikpeba.

Patrick Mboma won it once coupled with Eto’o’s hat-trick gives Cameroon four titles, while Diouf is responsible for the two titles for Senegal.

Once winners include Ghana – Abedi Pele, Liberia – George Weah (the only African player to have been crowned FIFA World Footballer of the Year), Moroccan – Mustapha Hadji, Cote d’Ivoire – Didier Drogba, Mali – Frederic Kanoute and Togo – Emmanuel Adebayor.

Another common feature is that all winners plied their trade in Europe at the time of their coronation. Some of the clubs to have produced African Footballers of the Year include Olympique Marseille, Vitoria Setubal, Sporting Portugal, AC Milan, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Deportivo La Coruna, Arsenal, Parma AC, Racing Club Lens, Liverpool, Real Mallorca, FC Barcelona, Chelsea and FC Seville.

For the last four years, the Awards Gala has been sponsored by Cellular Telecommunications outfit, Globacom and has been graced by renowned African artistes including Youssouf N’dour, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, King Mensah and King Sunny Ade.

The 2008 Awards Gala held in Lagos, Nigeria was even graced by the presence of FIFA President, Joseph Blatter and UEFA Boss Michel Platini.

This year will be the fifth time that Globacom is sponsoring the event that seeks to reward and celebrate African football.

Award winners

1992 Abedi AYEW PELÉ (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)