The Confederation of African Football Awards (CAF) is held annually to celebrate the best African football players. It was first awarded in 1992 after France Football stopped awarding it in 1994. It recognizes players in different categories, including:
- The CAF Player of the Year (man and woman)
- The CAF Youth Player of the Year (man and woman)
- African Inter-Club Player of the Year
- African Women’s Inter-Club Player of the Year
- CAF Goalkeeper of the Year
- CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year
- CAF Coach of the Year
- African National Team of the Year
- African Women’s Inter-Club Team of the Year
- The African Inter-Club Team of the Year
In this article, we’ll look at the men and women players who have won the CAF Player of the Year award.
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CAF Player of the Year (Men)
Former Cameroonian footballer Samuel Eto’o and Ivorian Yaya Toure have won the most CAF Player of the Year awards four times. Eto’o first won this accolade in 2003 and then in 2004, 2005 and 2010, while Yaya won in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Egyptian player Mohamed Salah, Senegalese international Sadio Mane, Didier Drogba, El Hadji Diouf, and Nwankwo Kanu all have two titles.
Nigeria has won the most CAF Men’s Player of the Year awards, having produced seven winners, following Ademola Lookman’s 2024 victory. Other winners from the country include Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amunike (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996), Victor Ikpeba (1997) and Victor Osimhen (2023). Furthermore, it’s the only country to win the award twice consecutively on three occasions with different winners.
Meanwhile, Ivory Coast has won it six times, with Yaya Toure holding four awards and Drogba two. Its West African counterpart Cameroon has won five times, Eto’o has four titles and Patrick Mboma one award.
Here is the complete list of players who have won the award since 1992
| Year | Winner | National team |
| 1992 | Abedi Pele | Ghana |
| 1993 | Rashid Yekini | Nigeria |
| 1994 | Emmanuel Amunike | Nigeria |
| 1995 | George Weah | Liberia |
| 1996 | Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria |
| 1997 | Victor Ikpeba | Nigeria |
| 1998 | Mustapha Hadji | Morocco |
| 1999 | Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria |
| 2000 | Patrick M’Boma | 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 | Ivory Coast |
| 2007 | Frederic Kanoute | Mali |
| 2008 | Emmanuel Adebayor | Togo |
| 2009 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast |
| 2010 | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon |
| 2011 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast |
| 2012 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast |
| 2013 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast |
| 2014 | Yaya Toure | Ivory Coast |
| 2015 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Gabon |
| 2016 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria |
| 2017 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt |
| 2018 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt |
| 2019 | Sadio Mane | Senegal |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to COVID | Not awarded due to COVID |
| 2021 | Not awarded due to COVID | Not awarded due to COVID |
| 2022 | Sadio Mane | Senegal |
| 2023 | Victor Osimhen | Nigeria |
| 2024 | Ademola Lookman | Nigeria |
CAF Player of the Year (Women)
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The CAF Women’s Player of the Year award was introduced in 2001 to recognize the best African female footballers. Nigerian player Asisat Oshoala is the most successful player, having received six awards. Here’s the complete list.
| Year | Winner | National team |
| 2001 | Mercy Akide | Nigeria |
| 2002 | Alberta Sackey | Ghana |
| 2003 | Adjoa Bayor | Ghana |
| 2004 | Perpetua Nkwocha | Nigeria |
| 2005 | Perpetua Nkwocha | Nigeria |
| 2006 | Cynthia Uwak | Nigeria |
| 2007 | Cynthia Uwak | Nigeria |
| 2008 | Noko Matlou | Togo |
| 2009 | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2010 | Perpetua Nkwocha | Nigeria |
| 2011 | Perpetua Nkwocha | Nigeria |
| 2012 | Genoveva Anonma | Equatorial Guinea |
| 2013 | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2014 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2015 | Gaelle Enganamouit | Cameroon |
| 2016 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2017 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2018 | Thembi Kgatlana | South Africa |
| 2019 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to COVID | Not awarded due to COVID |
| 2021 | Not awarded due to COVID | Not awarded due to COVID |
| 2022 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2023 | Asisat Oshoala | Nigeria |
| 2024 | Chiamaka Nnadozie | Nigeria |
Conclusion
The CAF Awards brings African football stakeholders together to celebrate the best of African football. They remind us that the continent has talented individuals performing excellently worldwide.
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