It what may be seen as a classic case of sour grapes, Ghana's Samuel Ossei Kuffour has criticised the decision to make El Hadji Diouf the African Player of the Year.

After finishing a distant second to the Senegalese hitman, a bitter Kuffour said the award should have gone to him instead.

"This is very bad," said the Ghanaian defender who plays for German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

"Things will never change at Caf. I know and everybody else knows that I deserved to win the award this year.

"But someone comes along and scores a few goals and they give him the award. I'm bitterly disappointed.

"It was the same in 1999 when they gave the award to (Nwankwo) Kanu instead of me."

Kuffour was, indeed, tipped by many to lift the title that has been won in the past by compatriot Abedi Pele and Liberia's George Weah.

But in a stunning upset, French-based Diouf was named the best African player on view in 2001.

The Ghanaian delegation at the awards ceremony in Johannesburg walked out of the room in protest following the announcement of Diouf's triumph.