African Footballer of the Year Winners List (Since 1970)
Who won African Footballer of the Year? Who is the most decorated African player? Which African player won the Ballon d’Or? Who is the greatest African footballer of all time? Who is the best African player in Premier League history? See the African Footballer of the Year Winners List for all-time history.
African Footballer of the Year Award
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially presented the African Footballer of the Year Award in the form of the “CAF Award” in 1992. It replaced the France Football Award. France Football magazine presented it from 1970 till 1994. There was another award named the Afrique Football Award (Etoile d’Or). It was presented for the first time in 1991 and was last awarded in 2003.
African Footballer of the Year Winners List
| Year | CAF Award Winner | National Team | Club | Points |
| 2024 | Ademola Lookman | Nigeria | Atalanta | N/A |
| 2023 | Victor Osimhen | Nigeria | Napoli | N/A |
| 2022 | Sadio Mané | Senegal | Bayern Munich | N/A |
| 2021 | Not Awarded | – | – | N/A |
| 2020 | Not Awarded | – | – | N/A |
| 2019 | Sadio Mané | Senegal | Liverpool | 477 |
| 2018 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | 567 |
| 2017 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | 625 |
| 2016 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | Leicester City | 361 |
| 2015 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Gabon | Borussia Dortmund | 143 |
| 2014 | Yaya Touré | Ivory Coast | Manchester City | 175 |
| 2013 | Yaya Touré | Ivory Coast | Manchester City | 373 |
| 2012 | Yaya Touré | Ivory Coast | Manchester City | N/A |
| 2011 | Yaya Touré | Ivory Coast | Manchester City | N/A |
| 2010 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Inter Milan | N/A |
| 2009 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | Chelsea | 92 |
| 2008 | Emmanuel Adebayor | Togo | Arsenal | 74 |
| 2007 | Frédéric Kanouté | Mali | Sevilla | N/A |
| 2006 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | Chelsea | 79 |
| 2005 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | FC Barcelona | 108 |
| 2004 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | FC Barcelona | 116 |
| 2003 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Mallorca | N/A |
| 2002 | El Hadji Diouf | Senegal | Liverpool | 93 |
| 2001 | El Hadji Diouf | Senegal | Lens | 93 |
| 2000 | Patrick M’Boma | Cameroon | Parma | 123 |
| 1999 | Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria | Arsenal | 46 |
| 1998 | Mustapha Hadji | Morocco | Deportivo La Coruña | 76 |
| 1997 | Victor Ikpeba | Nigeria | AS Monaco | 56 |
| 1996 | Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria | Inter Milan | N/A |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia | AC Milan | N/A |
| 1994 | Emmanuel Amunike | Nigeria | Sporting CP | 48 |
| 1993 | Rashidi Yekini | Nigeria | Vitória de Setúbal | N/A |
| 1992 | Abedi Pele | Ghana | Marseille | N/A |
African Footballer of the Year History
| Year | France Football Award Winner | Club | Nationality | Points |
| 1994 | George Weah | PSG | Liberia | 148 |
| 1993 | Abedi Pele | Marseille | Ghana | 119 |
| 1992 | Abedi Pele | Marseille | Ghana | 198 |
| 1991 | Abedi Pele | Marseille | Ghana | 152 |
| 1990 | Roger Milla | Saint-Pierroise | Cameroon | 209 |
| 1989 | George Weah | AS Monaco | Liberia | 133 |
| 1988 | Kalusha Bwalya | Cercle Brugge | Zambia | 111 |
| 1987 | Rabah Madjer | FC Porto | Algeria | 130 |
| 1986 | Ezzaki Badou | Mallorca | Morocco | 125 |
| 1985 | Mohamed Timoumi | AS FAR | Morocco | 113 |
| 1984 | Théophile Abega | Toulouse | Cameroon | 124 |
| 1983 | Mahmoud El Khatib | Al Ahly | Egypt | 98 |
| 1982 | Thomas N’Kono | Espanyol | Cameroon | 83 |
| 1981 | Lakhdar Belloumi | GC Mascara | Algeria | 78 |
| 1980 | Jean Manga-Onguéné | Canon Yaoundé | Cameroon | 64 |
| 1979 | Thomas N’Kono | Canon Yaoundé | Cameroon | 55 |
| 1978 | Karim Abdul Razak | Asante Kotoko | Ghana | 58 |
| 1977 | Tarak Dhiab | Espérance Tunis | Tunisia | 45 |
| 1976 | Roger Milla | Tonnerre Yaoundé | Cameroon | 33 |
| 1975 | Ahmed Faras | Mohammédia | Morocco | 28 |
| 1974 | Paul Moukila | CARA Brazzaville | Congo | 57 |
| 1973 | Bwanga Tshimen | TP Mazembe | Zaire / DR Congo | 49 |
| 1972 | Chérif Souleymane | Hafia | Guinea | 21 |
| 1971 | Ibrahim Sunday | Asante Kotoko | Ghana | 29 |
| 1970 | Salif Keïta | Saint-Étienne | Mali | 54 |
Etoile d’Afrique
| Year | Afrique Football Award Winner | Club | Country | Points |
| 2003 | Samuel Eto’o | Mallorca | Cameroon | 169 |
| 2002 | El Hadji Diouf | Liverpool | Senegal | 186 |
| 2001 | El Hadji Diouf | Lens | Senegal | N/A |
| 2000 | Patrick M’Boma | Parma | Cameroon | N/A |
| 1999 | Nwankwo Kanu | Arsenal | Nigeria | N/A |
| 1998 | Mustapha Hadji | Deportivo La Coruña | Morocco | N/A |
| 1997 | Victor Ikpeba | AS Monaco | Nigeria | N/A |
| 1996 | Nwankwo Kanu | Inter Milan | Nigeria | N/A |
| 1995 | George Weah | AC Milan | Liberia | N/A |
| 1994 | Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP | Nigeria | 178 |
| 1993 | Rashidi Yekini | Vitória de Setúbal | Nigeria | 152 |
| 1992 | Abedi Pele | Marseille | Ghana | 192 |
| 1991 | Abedi Pele | Marseille | Ghana | 206 |
Who is Africa’s Best Football Player?
Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure both won the award the most times (4). George Weah came out victorious on 3 occasions the same as Abedi Pele. Drogba, Milla, Salah, Mane, N’Kono, Kanu, Diouf, etc. are the other players with multiple awards. Each of these stars has pocketed the Best African Footballer award twice. As a nation, Cameroon represents the most awards (11). Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria; each offers 6.
