The CAF African Player of the Year is the most prestigious individual award in African football, presented at the annual CAF Awards.
Origins
Before CAF had its own prize, the French magazine France Football awarded an African Footballer of the Year from 1970. CAF launched its official award in 1992, and for a few years the two existed side by side before the magazine's award ended.
How the winner is chosen
A shortlist is drawn up by CAF's technical experts, and the winner is chosen by a panel that has included national team coaches and captains, journalists and legends of the game. Performances for both club and country over the year count, including the Africa Cup of Nations and CAF club competitions.
Record winners
Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Yaya Touré of Ivory Coast share the record with four awards each. Touré won four in a row from 2011 to 2014. Eto'o won three in a row from 2003 to 2005 and a fourth in 2010.
Recent winners
Mohamed Salah won in 2017 and 2018, and Sadio Mané in 2019 and 2022, with no awards presented in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Victor Osimhen won in 2023 after his title-winning season in Italy, and Ademola Lookman in 2024 after his Europa League final hat-trick. Check CAF's official site for the latest ceremony.
Other CAF awards
The CAF Awards also honour the best women's player, young player, goalkeeper, coach, club and national team, as well as an interclub player of the year for those playing on the continent. Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala has won the women's award several times.
Explore the winners' careers
Every award winner has a profile on SSFA Online. Start with the most famous African footballers or Africa's top international goalscorers.