For over three decades, Africa’s highest individual football honour has recognised the continent’s most outstanding male players in a formal, year-by-year tradition.
The CAF African Player of the Year award, first handed out in 1992, has since symbolised the pinnacle of individual football achievement for African players around the world.
Below is the list of African players of the year from 1992 through 2024, each year followed by the winner, the club he represented at the time, and the country.
- 1992
Abedi Pelé — Olympique Marseille, France.
Country of the player — Ghana.
- 1993
Rashidi Yekini — Vitória Setúbal, Portugal.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
- 1994
Emmanuel Amunike — Sporting CP, Portugal.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
- 1995
George Weah —AC Milan, Italy.
Country of the player — Liberia.
- 1996
Nwankwo Kanu —Inter Milan, Italy.
Country of the player —Nigeria.
- 1997
Victor Ikpeba— AS Monaco, France.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
- 1998
Mustapha Hadji —Deportivo La Coruña, Spain.
Country of the player — Morocco.
- 1999
Nwankwo Kanu — Arsenal, England.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
- 2000
Patrick Mboma —Parma, Italy.
Country of the player — Cameroon.
- 2001
El-Hadji Diouf —RC Lens, France.
Country of the player — Senegal.
- 2002
El-Hadji Diouf — Liverpool, England.
Country of the player —Senegal.
- 2003
Samuel Eto’o — Mallorca, Spain.
Country of the player — Cameroon.
2004
Samuel Eto’o — FC Barcelona, Spain.
Country of the player — Cameroon.
- 2005
Samuel Eto’o — FC Barcelona, Spain.
Country of the player — Cameroon.
- 2006
Didier Drogba — Chelsea, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire
- 2007
Frédéric Kanouté— Sevilla FC, Spain.
Country of the player — Mali.
- 2008
Emmanuel Adebayor — Arsenal, England.
Country of the player — Togo.
- 2009
Didier Drogba —Chelsea, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire
- 2010
Samuel Eto’o — Inter Milan, Italy.
Country of the player — Cameroon.
- 2011
Yaya Touré — Manchester City, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire
- 2012
Yaya Touré — Manchester City, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire
- 2013
Yaya Touré — Manchester City, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire
- 2014
Yaya Touré —Manchester City, England.
Country of the player — Cote d’Ivoire.
- 2015
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — Borussia Dortmund, Germany.
Country of the player — Gabon.
- 2016
Riyad Mahrez — Leicester City, England.
Country of the player — Algeria.
- 2017
Mohamed Salah —Liverpool, England.
Country of the player — Egypt.
- 2018
Mohamed Salah — Liverpool, England.
Country of the player — Egypt.
- 2019
Sadio Mané — Liverpool, England.
Country of the player— Senegal.
- 2020
No award — COVID-19
2021
No award — COVID-19
- 2022
Sadio Mané — Liverpool, England.
Country of the player— Senegal.
- 2023
Victor Osimhen — Napoli, Italy.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
- 2024
Ademola Lookman — Atalanta, Italy.
Country of the player — Nigeria.
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