The CAF African Player of the Year award returns to the spotlight tonight in Rabat, Morocco, as the continent prepares to honour its most outstanding footballer.
For more than three decades, the award has celebrated the rise of African greats whose performances have shaped the global game — from Abedi Pelé’s dominance in the early 1990s to the eras of Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Touré, Mohamed Salah and, most recently, Ademola Lookman.
This year’s race is equally compelling, featuring finalists who have excelled across Europe’s top leagues. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, the 2023 winner, is back on the shortlist alongside Egypt’s Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, the dynamic Paris Saint-Germain defender.
Read Also: CAF Awards: Achraf Hakimi wins 2025 men’s best player
Below is the full list of past winners, a record that spans more than 30 years and highlights the legends who have defined African football.
CAF African Player of the Year Winners and Their Clubs at the Time (1992–2024)
2024 – Ademola Lookman
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Atalanta Bergamo (Italy)
2023 – Victor Osimhen
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Napoli (Italy)
2022 – Sadio Mané
Nationality: Senegal
Club: Liverpool (England)
2019 – Sadio Mané
Nationality: Senegal
Club: Liverpool (England)
2018 – Mohamed Salah
Nationality: Egypt
Club: Liverpool (England)
2017 – Mohamed Salah
Nationality: Egypt
Club: Liverpool (England)
2016 – Riyad Mahrez
Nationality: Algeria
Club: Leicester City (England)
2015 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Nationality: Gabon
Club: Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
2014 – Yaya Touré
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Manchester City (England)
2013 – Yaya Touré
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Manchester City (England)
2012 – Yaya Touré
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Manchester City (England)
2011 – Yaya Touré
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Manchester City (England)
2010 – Samuel Eto’o
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: Inter Milan (Italy)
2009 – Didier Drogba
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Chelsea (England)
2008 – Emmanuel Adebayor
Nationality: Togo
Club: Arsenal (England)
2007 – Frédéric Oumar Kanouté
Nationality: Mali
Club: Sevilla FC (Spain)
2006 – Didier Drogba
Nationality: Côte d’Ivoire
Club: Chelsea (England)
2005 – Samuel Eto’o
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)
2004 – Samuel Eto’o
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)
2003 – Samuel Eto’o
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: Mallorca (Spain)
2002 – El-Hadji Diouf
Nationality: Senegal
Club: Liverpool (England)
2001 – El-Hadji Diouf
Nationality: Senegal
Club: Lens (France)
2000 – Patrick Mboma
Nationality: Cameroon
Club: Parma (Italy)
1999 – Nwankwo Kanu*
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Arsenal (England)
1998 – Mustapha Hadji*
Nationality: Morocco
Club: Deportivo La Coruña (Spain)
1997 – Victor Ikpeba*
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: AS Monaco (France)
1996 – Nwankwo Kanu*
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Inter Milan (Italy)
1995 – George Weah*
Nationality: Liberia
Club: AC Milan (Italy)
1994 – Emmanuel Amunike
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
1993 – Rashidi Yekini*
Nationality: Nigeria
Club: Vitória Futebol Clube (Portugal)
1992 – Abedi Pelé*
Nationality: Ghana
Club: Olympique de Marseille (France)
Winners from 1992 to 1999 were awarded by France Football before CAF introduced its own version.
