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Full list of CAF Player of the Year award winners (1992–2024)

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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Mutalib Jibril

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