AFCON Best Player Award Winners List (Since 1957)
Who is the best player in the AFCON 23? Who is the best AFCON of all time? What is the best player award in the Africa Cup of Nations? Is there a Golden Ball in AFCON? Find the Africa Cup of Nations or AFCON Best Player of Most Valuable Player Award winners list for all time.
AFCON Best Player Award
There is no Golden Ball award in the AFCON. However, the authority rewards the Best Player award for the tournament’s most valuable player. It’s a quadrangular-shaped crest. The award is given since the very first edition in 1957. There are multiple other awards as well. The Best Goalkeeper award goes to the most outstanding keeper while the most outstanding young player receives the Best Young Player. Another crucial individual award is the prize for the Top Goalscorer.
AFCON Most Valuable Player
| Year & Host | Best Player | Nationality |
| 2023 (Ivory Coast) | William Troost-Ekong | Nigeria |
| 2021 (Cameroon) | Sadio Mané | Senegal |
| 2019 (Egypt) | Ismaël Bennacer | Algeria |
| 2017 (Gabon) | Christian Bassogog | Cameroon |
| 2015 (Equatorial Guinea) | Christian Atsu | Ghana |
| 2013 (South Africa) | Jonathan Pitroipa | Burkina Faso |
| 2012 (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea) | Christopher Katongo | Zambia |
| 2010 (Angola) | Ahmed Hassan | Egypt |
| 2008 (Ghana) | Hosny Abd Rabo | Egypt |
| 2006 (Egypt) | Ahmed Hassan | Egypt |
| 2004 (Tunisia) | Jay-Jay Okocha | Nigeria |
| 2002 (Mali) | Rigobert Song | Cameroon |
| 2000 (Ghana/Nigeria) | Lauren | Cameroon |
| 1998 (Burkina Faso) | Benni McCarthy | South Africa |
| 1996 (South Africa) | Kalusha Bwalya | Zambia |
| 1994 (Tunisia) | Rashidi Yekini | Nigeria |
| 1992 (Senegal) | Abedi Pele | Ghana |
| 1990 (Algeria) | Rabah Madjer | Algeria |
| 1988 (Morocco) | Aziz Bouderbala | Morocco |
| 1986 (Egypt) | Roger Milla | Cameroon |
| 1984 (Ivory Coast) | Théophile Abega | Cameroon |
| 1982 (Libya) | Fawzi Al-Issawi | Libya |
| 1980 (Nigeria) | Christian Chukwu | Nigeria |
| 1978 (Ghana) | Karim Abdul Razak | Ghana |
| 1976 (Ethiopia) | Ahmed Faras | Morocco |
| 1974 (Egypt) | Ndaye Mulamba | Zaire (DR Congo) |
| 1972 (Cemroon) | François M’Pelé | Congo |
| 1970 (Sudan) | Laurent Pokou | Ivory Coast |
| 1968 (Ethiopia) | Kazadi Mwamba | Zaire (DR Congo) |
| 1965 (Tunisia) | Osei Kofi | Ghana |
| 1963 (Ghana) | Hassan El-Shazly | (United Arab Republic/Egypt) |
| 1962 (Ethiopia) | Mengistu Worku | Ethiopia |
| 1959 (United Arab Republic) | Mahmoud El-Gohary | (United Arab Republic/Egypt) |
| 1957 (Sudan) | Ad-Diba | (United Arab Republic/Egypt) |
Who Win AFCON Best Player?
Ad-Diba won this award (1957) as the very first player in history. Egypt represents the most awards (6), with 5 different winners. At the same time, Cameroon comes next with 5 awards. Former Egyptian attacking midfielder cum winger Ahmed Hassan is the only player to grab it more than once. William Troost-Ekong pocketed it during the latest edition (2023). Stars like Mane, Bennacer, Atsu, etc have previously won it.
