African Best Player Of The Years Winners From 1970 To 2024

The African Best Player of The Year award is a prestigious award in African continent
to celebrate the most outstanding African player irrespective of the club where he/she plays for.

The award created by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), celebrates the continent’s best footballers every year

Since its creation in 1970, the prestigious award has celebrated incredible talents from across Africa.

List of the male winners are ;

1970: Salif Kéita (Mali)

1971: Ibrahim Sunday (Ghana)

1972: Cherif Souleymane (Guinea)

1973: Tshimen Bwanga (Zaire, now DR Congo)

1974: Paul Moulika (Congo)

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1975: Ahmed Faras (Morocco)

1976: Roger Milla (Cameroon)

1977: Tarak Dhiab (Tunisia)

1978: Karim Abdul Razak (Ghana)

1979: Thomas Nkono (Cameroon)

1980: Jean Manga Onguene (Cameroon)

1981: Lakhdar Belloumi (Algeria)

1982: Thomas Nkono (Cameroon)

1983: Mahmoud Al-Khatib (Egypt)

1984: Théophile Abéga (Cameroon)

1985: Mohamed Timouni (Morocco)

1986: Badou Zaki (Morocco)

1987: Rabah Madjer (Algeria)

1988: Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia)

1989: George Weah (Liberia)

1990: Roger Milla (Cameroon)

1991: Abedi Pelé (Ghana)

1992: Abedi Pelé (Ghana)

1993: Abedi Pelé (Ghana)

1994: George Weah (Liberia)

1995: George Weah (Liberia) – Also won European Ballon d’Or

1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

1997: Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria)

1998: Mustapha Hadji (Morocco)

1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

2000: Patrick Mboma (Cameroon)

2001: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)

2002: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)

2003: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

2004: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

2005: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

2006: Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)

2007: Frédéric Kanouté (Mali)

2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)

2009: Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)

2010: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

2011: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)

2012: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)

2013: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)

2014: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)

2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

2016: Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

2017: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

2018: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

2019: Sadio Mané (Senegal)

2022: Sadio Mané (Senegal)

2023: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

2024: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)

Cameroon dominates with 11 wins.

Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire follow closely.

This should also be noted that George Weah remains the only African to win the European Ballon d’Or in 1995.

The current CAF Player of the year Ademola Lookman who plays in the Series A made the top 15 of the just concluded Ballon D’or won by Manchester City player, Rodri.