Since 1970 a prize was awarded by the magazine France Football, now discontinued. In 1991 the magazine Afrique-Football installed an award. Since 1992 the Conféderation Africaine de Football awards a prize, which is currently considered 'official'.
Year Player Country Club 1970 Salif KEITA Mali AS Saint-Etienne (Fra) 1971 Ibrahim SUNDAY Ghana Asante Kotoko (Gha) 1972 Chérif SOULEYMANE Guinea Hafia Conakry (Gui) 1973 Tshimimu BWANGA Zaire TP Mazembe (Zai) 1974 Paul MOUKILA Congo CARA Brazzaville (Cog) 1975 Ahmed FARAS Morocco SC Chabab Mohammedia (Mor) 1976 Roger MILLA Cameroon Canon Yaoundé (Cmr) 1977 Tarak DHIAB Tunisia Espérance Tunis (Tun) 1978 Abdul RAZAK Ghana Asante Kotoko (Gha) 1979 Thomas N'KONO Cameroon Canon Yaoundé (Cmr) 1980 Jean MANGA-ONGUENE Cameroon Canon Yaoundé (Cmr) 1981 Lakhdar BELLOUMI Algeria GCR Mascara (Alg) 1982 Thomas N'KONO Cameroon RCD Español (Esp) 1983 Mahmmoud AL-KHATIB Egypt Al-Ahly (Egy) 1984 Téophile ABEGA Cameroon Toulouse FC (Fra) 1985 Mohammed TIMOUMI Morocco FAR Rabat (Mor) 1986 Badou ZAKI Morocco RCD Mallorca (Esp) 1987 Rabah MADJER Algeria FC Porto (Por) 1988 Kalusha BWALYA Zambia Cercle Brugge (Bel) 1989 George WEAH Liberia AS Monaco (Fra) 1990 Roger MILLA Cameroon CS Saint Denis (Reu) 1991 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1992 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1993 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1994 George WEAH Liberia Paris Saint-Germain (Fra) NB: France Football discontinued the election from 1995 after the 'European' 'Ballon d'Or' had been opened to all players in the European leagues.
3 Ayew Pelé 2 N´Kono, Milla, Weah 1 Keita, Sunday, Souleymane, Bwanga, Moukila, Faras, Dhiab, Razak, Manga-Onguené, Belloumi, Al-Khatib, Abega, Timoumi, Zaki, Madjer, Bwalya
6 Cameroon 5 Ghana 3 Morocco 2 Algeria, Liberia 1 Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Tunisia, Zaire, Zambia
Year Player Country Club 1991 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1992 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1993 Rashidi YEKINI Nigeria Vitória FC Setúbal (Por) 1994 Emmanuel AMUNIKE Nigeria Sporting CP (Por) 1995 George WEAH Liberia Milan AC (Ita) 1996 Nwankwo KANU Nigeria Ajax Amsterdam (Hol) / Inter Milan (Ita) 1997 Victor IKPEBA Nigeria AS Monaco (Fra) 1998 Mustafa HADJI Morocco Deportivo La Coruña (Spa) 1999 Nwankwo KANU Nigeria Arsenal (Eng) 2000 Patrick MBOMA Cameroon Parma AC (Ita) 2001 El-Hadji DIOUF Senegal RC Lens (Fra) 2002 El-Hadji DIOUF Senegal RC Lens (Fra) / Liverpool FC (Eng) 2003 Samuel ETO'O Cameroon Real Mallorca (Spa)
2 Ayew Pelé, Kanu, Diouf 1 Yekini, Amunike, Weah, Ikpeba, Hadji, Mboma, Eto'o
5 Nigeria 2 Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal 1 Liberia, Morocco
Year Player Country Club 1992 Abedi AYEW PELÉ Ghana Olympique Marseille (Fra) 1993 Rashidi YEKINI Nigeria Vitória FC Setúbal (Por) 1994 Emmanuel AMUNIKE Nigeria Sporting CP (Por) 1995 George WEAH Liberia Milan AC (Ita) 1996 Nwankwo KANU Nigeria Internazionale (Ita) 1997 Victor IKPEBA Nigeria AS Monaco (Fra) 1998 Mustapha HADJI Morocco Deportivo La Coruña (Esp) 1999 Nwankwo KANU Nigeria Arsenal (Eng) 2000 Patrick MBOMA Cameroon Parma AC (Ita) 2001 El-Hadji DIOUF Senegal RC Lens (Fra) 2002 El-Hadji DIOUF Senegal RC Lens (Fra) / Liverpool FC (Eng) 2003 Samuel ETO'O Cameroon Real Mallorca (Spa) 2004 Samuel ETO'O Cameroon Real Mallorca (Spa) / FC Barcelona (Spa) 2005 Samuel ETO'O Cameroon FC Barcelona (Spa) 2006 Didier DROGBA Ivory Coast Chelsea (Eng) 2007 Frederic KANOUTÉ Mali Sevilla (Spa) 2008 Emmanuel ADEBAYOR Togo Arsenal (Eng) 2009 Didier DROGBA Ivory Coast Chelsea (Eng) 2010 Samuel ETO'O Cameroon Internazionale (Ita) 2011 Yaya TOURÉ Ivory Coast Manchester City (Eng) 2012 Yaya TOURÉ Ivory Coast Manchester City (Eng) 2013 Yaya TOURÉ Ivory Coast Manchester City (Eng) 2014 Yaya TOURÉ Ivory Coast Manchester City (Eng) 2015 Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG Gabon Borussia Dortmund (Ger) 2016 Riyad MAHREZ Algeria Leicester City (Eng) 2017 Mohamed SALAH Egypt Liverpool FC (Eng) 2018 Mohamed SALAH Egypt Liverpool FC (Eng) 2019 Sadio MANÉ Senegal Liverpool FC (Eng) 2020 not awarded 2021 not awarded 2022 Sadio MANÉ Senegal Bayern München (Ger)
4 Eto'o, Touré 2 Kanu, Diouf, Drogba, Salah, Mané 1 Ayew Pelé, Yekini, Amunike, Weah, Ikpeba, Hadji, Mboma, Kanouté, Adebayor Aubameyang, Mahrez
6 Ivory Coast 5 Cameroon, Nigeria 4 Senegal 2 Egypt 1 Algeria, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Togo
Thanks to Roberto Di Maggio for updates
Prepared and maintained by José Luis Pierrend for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: José Luis Pierrend
(josepie@hotmail.com)
Last updated: 1 Jun 2023
(C) Copyright José Luis Pierrend and RSSSF 1998/2023
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