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CAF Awards 2023: Numbers speak as continent heads to Morocco to crown new king and queen of African football

The excitement is palpable as the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, in Marrakech, prepares to host the CAF Awards 2023 Gala on Monday, 11 December 2023.

At 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT), all eyes will be on the two most prestigious awards of the night: the African Player of the Year for both men and women.

This year’s ceremony promises to be a historic one, crowning the new “King” and “Queen” of African football, who will be the face of the sport on the continent for the next year.

The CAF Awards are undoubtedly the most important individual football awards in Africa, generating immense anticipation and attracting the attention of fans, stakeholders, and the six finalists – three in each category – who eagerly await the announcement of the winners.

While both men’s and women’s categories are prestigious in their rights, the men’s category traditionally attracts more attention due to its highly competitive nature and outweighs the women’s category, not in a diminishing way but rather in the sense of strong expectancy and competitiveness.

This year is no different, with Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi, and Victor Osimhen battling it out for the coveted title while Asisat Oshoala is aiming for a record-extending sixth win.

However, Thembi Kgatlana, the only player to break Oshoala’s dominance since 2016, and Barbara Banda present a significant challenge this year, as it is also expected to be in the coming years thanks to the rapid growth in women’s football around the world.

The Turbulent History of the African Footballer of the Year Award

The African Footballer of the Year award, bestowed upon the best African footballer each year, has a complex and sometimes turbulent history.

Before the current CAF-sponsored award, France Football magazine presented its Golden Ball award to the best African player for 25 years, from 1970 to 1994. This ceased after the European Footballer of the Year award (Ballon d’Or) was opened to players of non-European nationality in 1995. That same year, George Weah coincidentally became the first African player to win the Ballon d’Or.

Since CAF started issuing its awards in 1992, there have been instances of confusion and controversy, with parallel awards given out in two of the three years when the awards coexisted.

In the 29 editions of the awards organized by CAF till date, 18 players from 12 countries have been recipients. Following global standards, the women’s category of the Africa Player of the Year was introduced in 2001, with 10 players from five countries having lifted the plaque so far. Nigeria’s Super Falcons legend Mercy Akide was the inaugural winner.

Ghanaian legend Abedi Pele won both the France Football and CAF awards in 1992. He retained his France Football Awards in 1993 but lost the CAF’s edition to Nigerian international, Rasheed Yekini.

George Weah won the last edition of the France Football Awards in 1994 but finished as runners-up behind Sporting CP’s Emmanuel Amunike for the CAF Award.

The CAF award has been presented annually since then, with exceptions in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 disruption of football activity. It is widely considered the most prestigious individual honor in African football, even though other magazines like Afrique Football (1991 to 2003) and the BBC (1992 to 2021) also presented their African Footballer of the Year awards over the years, with less recognition than the France Football or CAF awards.

Countries’ Performance in CAF Awards

For each edition, three players are finalists, with one eventually becoming the winner.

Countries with most podium finish in men's player of the year (Source: CAF)
Countries with most podium finishes in men’s player of the year (Source: CAF)

In the men’s category, 13 countries have finished on the podium since the inaugural edition of the awards ceremony. Nigeria is the best-performing nation, finishing on the podium 16 times, producing five winners.

Following are Côte d’Ivoire with 15 top-three finishes, Ghana and Cameroon tied with 11, Senegal with nine, Egypt with six, Gabon with five, Liberia with three, Mali and Algeria tied with two, while Togo, Morocco, and Chad are one-time top-three finishers each.

This excludes the 2023 edition, but Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco are guaranteed top-three finishes, extending Nigeria’s lead to 17, with Egypt and Morocco adding to their tally to reach seven and two, respectively.

For the winning list, 12 out of the 13 countries that have finished on the podium have won the award, with Chad being the exception, achieving their highest position as first runners-up in 1997 when Monaco’s Japhet N’Doram finished in the same position.

Countries with most wins in Men's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Countries with most wins in Men’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

Côte d’Ivoire slightly edges Nigeria and Cameroon (5) as the country with the most winners of the men’s award, having won it six times.

Just two Ivorians, Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, achieved this feat, winning all the country’s plaques between 2006 and 2014. Senegal follows with four wins, then Egypt with two, while Ghana, Gabon, Liberia, Mali, Algeria, Togo, and Morocco have each won one plaque.

In the women’s category, competition has not been as extensive, with Nigeria winning 67 per cent of the overall prize since CAF began issuing the award in 2001.

Countries with most wins in Women's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Countries with most wins in Women’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

Nigeria has produced 12 winners in this category among four players. Oshoala, with five awards, leads, followed by Perpetua Nwokocha with four, Cynthia Uwak with two, and one-time winner Akide.

Ghana and South Africa are tied with two winners each, while Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea can boast of one winner each.

Players’ Performance in CAF Awards

The Ivorian goal-scoring machine, Didier Drogba, was a consistent threat on the field and a constant presence on the CAF Awards podium.

He secured nine podium finishes over ten years, primarily with Marseille, Chelsea, and Galatasaray, terrorising Europe with his strength and finishing ability.

Players with most podium finish in Men's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Players with most podium finish in Men’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

Drogba is closely followed by arch-rival Samuel Eto’o, whose dominance began at the start of the 21st century. Eto’o finished as second runners-up behind compatriots Patrick M’Boma and Laureano Bisan-Etame Mayer after leading Cameroon to the 2000 African Cup of Nations glory at the age of 18.

He continued with podium finishes in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010, ending his career with eight top-three finishes.

Salah’s podium spot at the 2023 CAF Awards joins Yaya Touré, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Michael Essien, and former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané as the joint-third highest finishes in the award’s history.

George Weah and Jay-Jay Okocha are tied with three podium finishes each, followed by Nwankwo Kanu, El Hadji Diouf, Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Riyad Mahrez, Samuel Kuffour, Daniel Amokachi, and André Ayew finishing on the podium twice, with the latter three never winning the award.

With 37 players finishing on the podium since the award’s inception in 1992, only 18 have won, while 19 have not. Essien has the most podium finishes (5) without a win after falling short in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

While 19 players have made it to the podium without ever winning, seven players, including Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria), Patrick M’Boma (Cameroon), Mustapha Hadji (Morocco), Frédéric Kanouté (Mali), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Abedi Pele (Ghana), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), and El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), have a 100% record, winning the award every time they made it to the podium.

Despite Drogba leading as the continental king of the podium, he failed to win the award seven times. His compatriot Yaya Touré leads as the player with the joint-most wins, securing the coveted award four out of five times he made the podium in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Players with most wins in Men's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Players with most wins in Men’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

Touré’s commanding presence and exceptional passing range were key to Ivory Coast’s international success in the Africa Cup of Nations, which eluded Drogba in his 12-year stint with the country.

Joining Touré at the top is Eto’o, securing four awards, followed by Drogba, Mané, Salah, Kanu, and El Hadji Diouf with two wins. Weah (1995), Yekini (1993), Aubameyang (2015), Amunike (1994), Mahrez (2016), Ikpeba (1997), M’Boma (2000), Mustapha Hadji (1998), Kanouté (2007), Adebayor (2008), and Abedi Pele (1992) are one-time winners.

In the women’s cadre, Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala has cemented her place as the most decorated African women’s footballer of all time, securing an unprecedented five wins in the Women’s Player of the Year awards.

Players with most wins in Women's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Players with most wins in Women’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

Oshoala’s first CAF Women’s Player of the Year win came in 2014, followed by consecutive wins in 2016, 2017, and 2019. She added her fifth title to her impressive collection at the 2022 ceremony to become the most decorated player, men or women, in the entire award’s history.

While Oshoala’s dominance is undeniable, other exceptional players have also etched their names in the history of the award. Perpetua Nkwocha stands tall with three awards (2004, 2005, 2009, and 2011), while Cynthia Uwak (2006 and 2007) each boasts two awards.

Gaëlle Enganamouit of Cameroon (2015), Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa (2018), Mercy Akide of Nigeria (2001), Genoveva Añonma of Equatorial Guinea (2012), Alice Mattlou of South Africa (2008), and Ghana’s Alberta Sackey (2002) and Adjoa Bayor (2003) have each secured one award.

Perennial Winners

While some players are still dreaming of winning the prestigious awards, others have dreamt of it, achieved it, and done it more than once. Leading the calibre of such players in the category is Oshoala, who has won the honour five times, highest in either men’s or women’s.

Players with most wins in Men and Women's Player of the Year combined (Source: CAF)
Players with most wins in Men and Women’s Player of the Year combined (Source: CAF)

The 29-year-old won her first award in 2014. She missed out on the award the next year but came back a year later, in 2016, to win it again. Since then, the former Arsenal player has gone on to win it three more times: in 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o has his name in the history of the CAF Awards as the first player to win the honour three times in a row, which he achieved in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He came back five years later to win his last award, in 2010.

However, Eto’o’s record did not last for a long time as Manchester City legend Yaya Toure, who won the award in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, shattered the Cameroonian’s record by winning in four successive years. Another four-time winner is Nigeria’s Perpetua Nwokocha.

The Super Falcons legend won the award in 2004, 2005, 2010, and 2011 to achieve the feat.

The Nigerian duo of Kanu Nwankwo and Cynthia Uwak, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Senegal’s El Hadji Diouf, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane are also two-time winners.

European Leagues Dominance

The Player of the Year awards have predominantly gravitated towards European leagues since its inception. While it is undeniable that Europe is the premier destination for African talent, it reveals a disconcerting narrative that underscores the struggle of African leagues and clubs.

The English League emerges as the unrivalled leader with an astonishing 13 wins; the Spanish La Liga follows with five wins; Italy with four; and France with three; while the German Bundesliga and Liga Portugal complete the European sextuple apprehension of all the 29 awards in its history.

Leagues with most wins in Men's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Leagues with most wins in Men’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

When it comes to individual clubs, Manchester City and Liverpool stand shoulder to shoulder as the most decorated, each securing the prestigious award on four occasions. Inter Milan, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona also etched their names with two triumphs apiece.

Clubs with most wins in Men's Player of the Year (Source: CAF)
Clubs with most wins in Men’s Player of the Year (Source: CAF)

A constellation of clubs in the biggest of leagues, including AS Monaco, Milan, Marseille, Vitória de Setúbal, Sporting CP, Sevilla, Parma, Mallorca, Lens, Leicester City, Deportivo La Coruña, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayern Munich, complete the list of clubs to have won.

The failure of clubs from the continent to secure their award underscores the battle they face in gaining global recognition and representation.

Only two players outside Europe have made the podium for the award: Egyptian Premier League Al Ahly’s Mohamed Abou Trika (second in 2008) and Chinese Super League Shanghai Shenhua’s Didier Drogba, with the latter’s inclusion largely due to winning the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in Europe.

The Next King and Queen of African Football

For the 2023 edition of the CAF Awards, Egypt and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, and Nigeria and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are in contention for the men’s award.

Osimhen scored 31 goals in 39 matches as Napoli clinched the Italian Serie A league title for the first time in 33 years and also reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

The 26 goals were enough for the Super Eagle to become the first African to win the highest goal-scorer award in Serie A history. His performance also earned him a place in the Serie A team of the season for the 2022–23 season and the Best Striker award for that season.

During the period under consideration for this year’s CAF Awards, which is between November 2022 and December 2023, Osimhen scored 10 goals to finish as the highest goal scorer of the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifying round.

Meanwhile, Salah scored 35 times for the club and country in as many matches as possible, as Liverpool managed to secure European football by a whisker. He also led Egypt to the finals of the 2023 African Cup of Nations.

Hakimi was a vital member of the history-making Morocco’s Atlas Lions squad that reached the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first African national to achieve the feat. During the period under consideration, the right-back also won the league title with PSG.

While Salah has won the award two times and is the player with the third-most podium finishes after Drogba and Eto’o, this is Osimhen and Hakimi’s first-ever podium finish. They will be looking forward to joining Ikpeba, M’Boma, Mustapha Hadji, Kanouté, Adebayor, Abedi Pele, Kanu, and El Hadji Diouf as the only players to have won the award every time they make it to the podium.

In the women’s category, Oshoala will once again look to clinch a sixth record-extending honour. She is nominated alongside 2018 winner Thembi Kgatlana. She is the only player since 2016, apart from Oshoala, to win the CAF plaque.

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana forward has established herself as an influential member of the South African women’s national team. She scored twice and assisted two goals as South Africa reached the knockout stage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Zambia’s Barbara Banda has also been shortlisted as a finalist for this year’s award.

The Awards Gala will take place on Monday, 11 December 2023, at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco, at 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

 

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