# African Footballer of the Year

The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African footballer each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) since 1992.
Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré have won the award the most times (four wins each). Two-time winner Didier Drogba is the player with the most runner-up appearances (four), most third place finishes (third), and most appearances in the top three (nine). The France-born Frédéric Kanouté, Riyad Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and England-born Ademola Lookman are the only European-born players to win the award (both Kanouté and Aubameyang initially featured for France's U21 squad before going on to represent Mali and Gabon, respectively). The winner of the 2024 edition was Ademola Lookman.

## History

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 Pele and George Weah in 1993 and 1994 by the magazine, although the CAF sponsored awards for those years were won respectively by Rashidi Yekini and Emmanuel Amuneke, as well as two awards given to Abedi Pele in 1992. 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. In 1991 the magazine Afrique Football installed an award. It was discontinued in 2003.

## Winners
### France Football award (1970–1994)

The award by France Football magazine 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 It had already been replaced by an official award given out by the Confederation of African Football since 1992.
| Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1970 | 1st | Salif Keïta | Saint-Étienne | 54 |
| 1970 | 2nd | Laurent Pokou | ASEC Abidjan | 28 |
| 1970 | 3rd | Ali Abo Greisha | Ismaily | 28 |
| 1971 | 1st | Ibrahim Sunday | Asante Kotoko | 29 |
| 1971 | 2nd | Robert Mensah | Asante Kotoko | 15 |
| 1971 | 3rd | François Ndoumbé | Canon Yaoundé | 13 |
| 1972 | 1st | Chérif Souleymane | Hafia | 21 |
| 1972 | 2nd | Bwanga Tshimen | TP Mazembe | 16 |
| 1972 | 3rd | Petit Sory | Hafia | 14 |
| 1973 | 1st | Bwanga Tshimen | TP Mazembe | 49 |
| 1973 | 2nd | Kazadi Mwamba | TP Mazembe | 44 |
| 1973 | 3rd | Laurent Pokou | ASEC Abidjan | 41 |
| 1974 | 1st | Paul Moukila | CARA Brazzaville | 57 |
| 1974 | 2nd | Lobilo Boba | Vita Club | 32 |
| 1974 | 3rd | Hassan Shehata | Zamalek | 28 |
| 1975 | 1st | Ahmed Faras | Mohammédia | 28 |
| 1975 | 2nd | Roger Milla | Tonnerre Yaoundé | 24 |
| 1975 | 2nd | Mamadou Aliou Kéïta | Hafia | 24 |
| 1976 | 1st | Roger Milla | Tonnerre Yaoundé | 33 |
| 1976 | 2nd | Papa Camara | Hafia | 32 |
| 1976 | 3rd | Ali Bencheikh | MC Alger | 27 |
| 1977 | 1st | Tarak Dhiab | Espérance Tunis | 45 |
| 1977 | 2nd | Papa Camara | Hafia | 33 |
| 1977 | 3rd | Segun Odegbami | Shooting Stars | 29 |
| 1978 | 1st | Karim Abdul Razak | Asante Kotoko | 58 |
| 1978 | 2nd | Ali Bencheikh | MC Alger | 33 |
| 1978 | 3rd | Thomas N'Kono | Canon Yaoundé | 29 |
| 1979 | 1st | Thomas N'Kono | Canon Yaoundé | 55 |
| 1979 | 2nd | Adolf Armah | Hearts of Oak | 23 |
| 1979 | 3rd | Kerfalla Bangoura | Horoya | 15 |
| 1980 | 1st | Jean Manga-Onguéné | Canon Yaoundé | 64 |
| 1980 | 2nd | Segun Odegbami | Shooting Stars | 41 |
| 1980 | 3rd | Théophile Abega | Canon Yaoundé | 18 |
| 1981 | 1st | Lakhdar Belloumi | GC Mascara | 78 |
| 1981 | 2nd | Thomas N'Kono | Canon Yaoundé | 54 |
| 1981 | 3rd | Ali Fergani | JS Kabylie | 26 |
| 1982 | 1st | Thomas N'Kono | Espanyol | 83 |
| 1982 | 2nd | Salah Assad | Mulhouse | 54 |
| 1982 | 3rd | Lakhdar Belloumi | GC Mascara | 36 |
| 1983 | 1st | Mahmoud El Khatib | Al Ahly | 98 |
| 1983 | 2nd | Opoku Nti | Asante Kotoko | 89 |
| 1983 | 3rd | Rafiou Moutairou | OC Agaza | 19 |
| 1984 | 1st | Théophile Abega | Toulouse | 124 |
| 1984 | 2nd | Joseph-Antoine Bell | Al Mokawloon Al Arab | 65 |
| 1984 | 2nd | Ibrahim Youssef | Zamalek | 65 |
| 1985 | 1st | Mohamed Timoumi | AS FAR | 113 |
| 1985 | 2nd | Rabah Madjer | Porto | 45 |
| 1985 | 3rd | Ibrahim Youssef | Zamalek | 39 |
| 1986 | 1st | Ezzaki Badou | Mallorca | 125 |
| 1986 | 2nd | Aziz Bouderbala | Sion | 88 |
| 1986 | 3rd | Roger Milla | Montpellier | 80 |
| 1987 | 1st | Rabah Madjer | Porto | 130 |
| 1987 | 2nd | Youssouf Falikou Fofana | Monaco | 63 |
| 1987 | 3rd | François Omam-Biyik | Laval | 52 |
| 1988 | 1st | Kalusha Bwalya | Cercle Brugge | 111 |
| 1988 | 2nd | Roger Milla | Montpellier | 68 |
| 1988 | 3rd | Youssouf Falikou Fofana | Monaco | 40 |
| 1989 | 1st | George Weah | Monaco | 133 |
| 1989 | 2nd | Joseph-Antoine Bell | Bordeaux | 105 |
| 1989 | 3rd | Kalusha Bwalya | PSV | 49 |
| 1990 | 1st | Roger Milla | Saint-Pierroise | 209 |
| 1990 | 2nd | Tahar Chérif El-Ouazzani | Aydınspor | 64 |
| 1990 | 3rd | Rabah Madjer | Porto | 60 |
| 1990 | 3rd | François Omam-Biyik | Rennes | 60 |
| 1991 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 152 |
| 1991 | 2nd | George Weah | Monaco | 106 |
| 1991 | 3rd | François Omam-Biyik | Cannes | 52 |
| 1992 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 198 |
| 1992 | 2nd | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 161 |
| 1992 | 3rd | Tony Yeboah | Eintracht Frankfurt | 64 |
| 1993 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 119 |
| 1993 | 2nd | Tony Yeboah | Eintracht Frankfurt | 117 |
| 1993 | 3rd | Rashidi Yekini | Vitória de Setúbal | 104 |
| 1994 | 1st | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 148 |
| 1994 | 2nd | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | 133 |
| 1994 | 3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Everton | 99 |

### Afrique Football award (Etoile d'Or) (1991–2003)

| Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1991 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 206 |
| 1991 | 2nd | George Weah | Monaco | 146 |
| 1991 | 3rd | Nii Lamptey | Anderlecht | 68 |
| 1992 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 192 |
| 1992 | 2nd | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 167 |
| 1992 | 3rd | Alain Gouaméné | Raja CA | 60 |
| 1993 | 1st | Rashidi Yekini | Vitória de Setúbal | 152 |
| 1993 | 2nd | Abedi Pele | Marseille | 118 |
| 1993 | 3rd | Tony Yeboah | Eintracht Frankfurt | 98 |
| 1994 | 1st | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | 178 |
| 1994 | 2nd | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 114 |
| 1994 | 3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Everton | 97 |
| 1995 | 1st | George Weah | Milan | – |
| 1996 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Internazionale | – |
| 1997 | 1st | Victor Ikpeba | Monaco | – |
| 1998 | 1st | Mustapha Hadji | Deportivo La Coruña | – |
| 1998 | 2nd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Paris Saint-Germain | – |
| 1998 | 3rd | Sunday Oliseh | Ajax | – |
| 1999 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Arsenal | – |
| 2000 | 1st | Patrick M'Boma | Parma | – |
| 2001 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Lens | – |
| 2002 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Liverpool | 186 |
| 2002 | 2nd | Papa Bouba Diop | Lens | 64 |
| 2002 | 3rd | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 39 |
| 2003 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 169 |
| 2003 | 2nd | Didier Drogba | Marseille | 68 |
| 2003 | 3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers | 51 |

### CAF award (1992–present)

| Year | Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1992 | 1st | Abedi Pele | Marseille | – |
| 1993 | 1st | Rashidi Yekini | Vitória de Setúbal | – |
| 1994 | 1st | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | 48 |
| 1994 | 2nd | George Weah | Paris Saint-Germain | 44 |
| 1994 | 2nd | Rashidi Yekini | Olympiacos | 44 |
| 1995 | 1st | George Weah | Milan | – |
| 1995 | 2nd | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | – |
| 1995 | 3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Everton | – |
| 1996 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Internazionale | – |
| 1996 | 2nd | George Weah | Milan | – |
| 1996 | 3rd | Daniel Amokachi | Beşiktaş | – |
| 1997 | 1st | Victor Ikpeba | Monaco | 56 |
| 1997 | 2nd | Japhet N'Doram | Monaco | 40 |
| 1997 | 3rd | Taribo West | Internazionale | 35 |
| 1998 | 1st | Mustapha Hadji | Deportivo La Coruña | 76 |
| 1998 | 2nd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Paris Saint-Germain | 74 |
| 1998 | 3rd | Sunday Oliseh | Ajax | 58 |
| 1999 | 1st | Nwankwo Kanu | Arsenal | 46 |
| 1999 | 2nd | Samuel Kuffour | Bayern Munich | 44 |
| 1999 | 3rd | Ibrahima Bakayoko | Marseille | 42 |
| 2000 | 1st | Patrick M'Boma | Parma | 123 |
| 2000 | 2nd | Lauren | Mallorca | 36 |
| 2000 | 3rd | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 29 |
| 2001 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Lens | 93 |
| 2001 | 2nd | Samuel Kuffour | Bayern Munich | 66 |
| 2001 | 3rd | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | 34 |
| 2002 | 1st | El Hadji Diouf | Liverpool | 93 |
| 2002 | 2nd | Papa Bouba Diop | Lens | 46 |
| 2002 | 3rd | Ahmed Hossam Mido | Ajax | 42 |
| 2003 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Mallorca | – |
| 2003 | 2nd | Didier Drogba | Marseille | – |
| 2003 | 3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers | – |
| 2004 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 116 |
| 2004 | 2nd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 90 |
| 2004 | 3rd | Jay-Jay Okocha | Bolton Wanderers | 68 |
| 2005 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 108 |
| 2005 | 2nd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 106 |
| 2005 | 3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 50 |
| 2006 | 1st | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 79 |
| 2006 | 2nd | Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona | 76 |
| 2006 | 3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 36 |
| 2007 | 1st | Frédéric Kanouté | Sevilla | – |
| 2007 | 2nd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | – |
| 2007 | 3rd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | – |
| 2008 | 1st | Emmanuel Adebayor | Arsenal | 74 |
| 2008 | 2nd | Mohamed Abou Trika | Al Ahly | 53 |
| 2008 | 3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 36 |
| 2009 | 1st | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 92 |
| 2009 | 2nd | Samuel Eto'o | Internazionale | 69 |
| 2009 | 3rd | Michael Essien | Chelsea | 43 |
| 2010 | 1st | Samuel Eto'o | Internazionale | – |
| 2010 | 2nd | Asamoah Gyan | Sunderland | – |
| 2010 | 3rd | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | – |
| 2011 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | – |
| 2011 | 2nd | Seydou Keita | Barcelona | – |
| 2011 | 3rd | André Ayew | Marseille | – |
| 2012 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | – |
| 2012 | 2nd | Didier Drogba | Shanghai Shenhua | – |
| 2012 | 3rd | Alex Song | Barcelona | – |
| 2013 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 373 |
| 2013 | 2nd | Mikel John Obi | Chelsea | 265 |
| 2013 | 3rd | Didier Drogba | Galatasaray | 236 |
| 2014 | 1st | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 175 |
| 2014 | 2nd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 120 |
| 2014 | 3rd | Vincent Enyeama | Lille | 105 |
| 2015 | 1st | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 143 |
| 2015 | 2nd | Yaya Touré | Manchester City | 136 |
| 2015 | 3rd | André Ayew | Swansea City | 112 |
| 2016 | 1st | Riyad Mahrez | Leicester City | 361 |
| 2016 | 2nd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 313 |
| 2016 | 3rd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 186 |
| 2017 | 1st | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 625 |
| 2017 | 2nd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 507 |
| 2017 | 3rd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 311 |
| 2018 | 1st | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 567 |
| 2018 | 2nd | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 440 |
| 2018 | 3rd | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | 197 |
| 2019 | 1st | Sadio Mané | Liverpool | 477 |
| 2019 | 2nd | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 325 |
| 2019 | 3rd | Riyad Mahrez | Manchester City | 267 |
| 2022 | 1st | Sadio Mané | Bayern Munich | – |
| 2022 | 2nd | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | – |
| 2022 | 3rd | Édouard Mendy | Chelsea | – |
| 2023 | 1st | Victor Osimhen | Napoli | – |
| 2023 | 2nd | Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | – |
| 2023 | 3rd | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | – |
| 2024 | 1st | Ademola Lookman | Atalanta | – |
| 2024 | 2nd | Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain | – |
| 2024 | 3rd | Serhou Guirassy | Borussia Dortmund | – |

## Multiple winners

$^{*Playersinboldarecurrentlyactive}$
| Player | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
| Samuel Eto'o | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Yaya Touré | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| George Weah | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Abedi Pele | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Didier Drogba | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Roger Milla | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Mohamed Salah | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Sadio Mané | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Thomas N'Kono | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Nwankwo Kanu | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| El Hadji Diouf | 2 | 0 | 0 |

## Awards won by nationality

| Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Third places |
| Cameroon | 11 | 8 | 10 |
| Nigeria | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Ghana | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Ivory Coast | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Senegal | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Morocco | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Algeria | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Egypt | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Liberia | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Mali | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Guinea | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| DR Congo | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Gabon | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Togo | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zambia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Congo | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chad | 0 | 1 | 0 |

## Awards won by club

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third places | Players | Players | Players |
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third places | Winners | Runner-ups | Third places |
| Liverpool | 4 | 4 | 2 | M. Salah (2), H. Diouf, S. Mané | S. Mané (2), M. Salah (2) | S. Mané, M. Salah |
| Manchester City | 4 | 1 | 1 | Y. Touré (4) | Y. Touré | R. Mahrez |
| Marseille | 3 | 1 | 2 | Abedi Pele (3) | D. Drogba | I. Bakayoko, A. Ayew |
| Chelsea | 2 | 4 | 6 | D. Drogba (2) | D. Drogba (2), M. Essien, M. J. Obi | M. Essien (4), D. Drogba (2) |
| Monaco | 2 | 3 | 1 | G. Weah, V. Ikpeba | Y. Fofana, G. Weah, J. N'Doram | Y. Fofana |
| Barcelona | 2 | 2 | 1 | S. Eto'o (2) | S. Eto'o, Se. Keita | A. Song |
| Asante Kotoko | 2 | 2 | – | K. Abdul Razak, I. Sunday | R. Mensah, O. Nti | |
| Canon Yaoundé | 2 | 1 | 3 | J. Manga-Onguéné, T. N'Kono | T. N'Kono | T. Abega, F. Ndoumbé, T. N'Kono |
| Mallorca | 2 | 1 | 2 | E. Badou, S. Eto'o | Lauren | S. Eto'o (2) |
| Internazionale | 2 | 1 | 1 | S. Eto'o, N. Kanu | S. Eto'o | T. West |
| Arsenal | 2 | – | 1 | E. Adebayor, N. Kanu | | P. E. Aubameyang |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 4 | – | G. Weah | G. Weah, A. Okocha, A. Hakimi (2) | |
| Hafia | 1 | 2 | 2 | C. Souleymane | P. Camara (2) | P. Sory, M. A. Kéïta |
| Borussia Dortmund | 1 | 2 | 2 | P. E. Aubameyang | P. E. Aubameyang (2) | P. E. Aubameyang, S. Guirassy |
| Bayern Munich | 1 | 2 | – | S. Mané | S. Kuffour (2) | |
| TP Mazembe | 1 | 2 | – | B. Tshimen | B. Tshimen, K. Mwamba | |
| Porto | 1 | 1 | 1 | R. Madjer | R. Madjer | R. Madjer |
| Al Ahly | 1 | 1 | 0 | M. El Khatib | M. Abou Trika | |
| Tonnerre Yaoundé | 1 | 1 | – | R. Milla | R. Milla | |
| Lens | 1 | 1 | – | E-H. Diouf | P. B. Diop | |
| Milan | 1 | 1 | – | G. Weah | G. Weah | |
| Sporting CP | 1 | 1 | – | E. Amunike | E. Amunike | |
| GC Mascara | 1 | – | 1 | L. Belloumi | | L. Belloumi |
| Cercle Brugge | 1 | – | – | K. Bwalya | | |
| CARA Brazzaville | 1 | – | – | P. Moukila | | |
| Leicester City | 1 | – | – | R. Mahrez | | |
| Saint-Étienne | 1 | – | – | S. Keïta | | |
| Toulouse | 1 | – | – | T. Abega | | |
| Parma | 1 | – | – | P. M'Boma | | |
| AS FAR | 1 | – | – | M. Timoumi | | |
| SCC Mohammédia | 1 | – | – | A. Faras | | |
| Vitória de Setúbal | 1 | – | – | R. Yekini | | |
| JS Saint-Pierroise | 1 | – | – | R. Milla | | |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 1 | – | – | M. Hadji | | |
| Espanyol | 1 | – | – | T. N'Kono | | |
| Sevilla | 1 | – | – | F. Kanouté | | |
| ES Tunis | 1 | – | – | T. Dhiab | | |
| Napoli | 1 | – | – | V. Osimhen | | |
| Atalanta | 1 | – | – | A. Lookman | | |
| MC Alger | – | 1 | 1 |
| ASEC Mimosas | – | 1 | 1 |
| Montpellier | – | 1 | 1 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | – | 1 | 1 |
| Shooting Stars | – | 1 | 1 |
| Shanghai Shenhua | – | 1 | – |
| Vita Club | – | 1 | – |
| Al Mokawloon Al Arab | – | 1 | – |
| Sunderland | – | 1 | – |
| Bordeaux | – | 1 | – |
| FC Mulhouse | – | 1 | – |
| Hearts of Oak | – | 1 | – |
| FC Sion | – | 1 | – |
| Aydınspor | – | 1 | – |
| Zamalek | – | 1 | 2 |
| Bolton Wanderers | – | – | 2 |
| Everton | – | – | 2 |
| Ajax | – | – | 2 |
| JS Kabylie | – | – | 1 |
| Ismaily | – | – | 1 |
| Cannes | – | – | 1 |
| Stade Lavallois | – | – | 1 |
| Lille | – | – | 1 |
| Rennes | – | – | 1 |
| Olympiacos | – | – | 1 |
| Horoya AC | – | – | 1 |
| PSV Eindhoven | – | – | 1 |
| OC Agaza | – | – | 1 |
| Beşiktaş | – | – | 1 |
| Galatasaray | – | – | 1 |
| Swansea City | – | – | 1 |