Most CAF Player of the year titles by nationalities: On the 16th of December 2024, Ademola Lookman beat four others to a deserved coronation as CAF Player of the year winner for the year during the Gala in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Nigerian forward saw off competitions from South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi, Ivorian winger Simon Adingra and Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy to claim the prize.
His success sees Nigeria overtake Ghana and Ivory Coast in the all-time list for most CAF Player of the year titles by nationalities, making the three-time African champions outright second, behind Cameroon.
In this article, we look at the most decorated nations as per the most prestigious individual prize in African football, since Salif Keita of Mali became the first-ever winner in 1970.
Most CAF Player of the Year Titles By Nationalities
1. Cameroon – 11 times
Cameroon has won the award more time than any other nation with eleven, making them the only nation to have double digits.
Three different players from the fie-time African champions have claimed the prize, in Barcelona legend Samuel Etoo’o Fils, who has joint most with four, Roger Miller and Thomas N’Kono have two each.
Jean Manga-Onguene, Theophile Abega and Patrick M’Boma complete the list with one each for the Indomitable Lions.
2. Nigeria – 7 times
Nigeria is second in the list and have moved up quickly since last year, when Victor Osihmen was crowned and this year 2024, as Ademola Lookman bossed his way to the award.
Arsenal hero Nwankwo Kanu is the only player from the West African nation to win the award on multiple occasions, winning it twice, first in 1996 and later in 1999, when he was in the books of the English club.
Alongside Kanu, four more players have joined Rashidi Yekini, who became the country’s first winner in 1993. They are; Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, Victor Osihmen and the latest winner, Ademola Lookman.
3. Ghana and Ivory Coast – 6 times, each
Just two players have won Ivory Coast’s total of six CAF Player of the year awards and for a country won who their first with Didier Drogba in 2006, it shows how vast the nation has progressed in the 21st century.
Drogba added one more in 2009 before Yaya Toure dominated the gala for four straight years between 2011 and 2014, winning all four to tie Samuel Etoo’o’s record for most CAF Player of the year awards by an individual in the men’s category.
Tied on third is Ghana, who also have the brilliance of Abedi Pele to thank not only for three of their four AFCON titles but as well placing them in a position of prominence in the most prestigious individual award in African football.
Pele won the prize in 1991, 1992 and 1993, joining his countrymen, Ibrahim Sunday and Karim Abdul Razak, who have won the award before him.
5. Senegal and Morocco – 4 times, each
For the Lions of Teranga, El Hadji Diouf became their first winner in 2001 and retained the prize a year later in the only two times he made the podium.
17 years later in 2019, Sadio Mane broke their drought in his fourth podium appearance in consecutive years, and defended his crown three years later, as the gala was not held or two years due to the covid-19.
Ahmed Faras became the first Moroccan to win the prize in 1975. The country had to wait ten more years before producing another winner in Mohamed Timouni, while Ezzaki Badou followed that up with another one in 1986.
Mustapha Hadji won their latest in 1998, when he beat Nigeria duo of Austin Okocha and Sunday Oliseh to the prize.
7. Egypt, Algeria and Liberia – 3 times, each
George Weah, the only African to have won the Ballon d’or is indeed a national treasure for Liberia. The former PSG and AC Milan striker won all of his country’s CAF Player of the year award.
Mohamed Salah has won two of Egypt’s three with Mahmoud El Khatib being their only other winner in 1983.
Algeria have had three different players won their three awards with Lakhdar Belloumi in 1981, Rabar Madjer in 1987 and Riyad Mahrez in 2016.
10. Mali – 2 times
The first-ever winner of the prize came from Mali. Since he, Salif Keita won the award in 1970, the country had to wait 37 years before winning their next, when Frederic Kanoute was crowned winner in 2007.
The above are the only nations to have won multiple CAF Player of the year awards in the Men’s category.
Guinea, DR Congo, Togo, Gabon, Zambia, Congo, and Tunisia have all won the award once, while Chad had a second place finish with Japhet N’Doram in 1997.
Hassan Afolabi
