1970 Salif Keita (St Etienne, France and Mali)

1971 Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1972 Cherif Souleymane (Hafia and Guinea)

1973 Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe Englebert and Zaire)

1974 Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville and Congo)

1975 Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia and Morocco)

1976 Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1977 Tarak Dhiab (Esperance and Tunisia)

1978 Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1979 Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1980 Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

198: Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara and Algeria)

1982 Thomas Nkono (Espanyol, Spain and Cameroon)

1983 Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli and Egypt)

1984 Theophile Abega (Toulouse, France and Cameroon)

1985 Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces and Morocco)

1986 Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca, Spain and Morocco)

1987 Rabah Madjer (FC Porto, Portugal and Algeria)

1988 Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges, Belgium and Zambia)

1989 George Weah (Monaco, France and Liberia)

1990 Roger Milla (St Denis, Reunion and Cameroon)

1991 Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1992 Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1993 Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Lyonnaise, France and Ghana)

1994 George Weah (Paris St Germain, France and Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal and Nigeria)

1995 George Weah (AC Milan, Italy and Liberia)

1996 Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italy and Nigeria)

1997 Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France and Nigeria)

1998 Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Spain and Morocco)

1999 Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England and Nigeria)

2000 Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy and Cameroon)

2001 El Hadji Diouf (Rennes, France and Senegal)

2002 El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool, England and Senegal)

2003 Samuel Eto'o (Real Mallorca, Spain and Cameroon)

2004 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2005 Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2006 Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2007 Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, Spain and Mali)

2006 Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, England and Togo)

2009 Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2010 Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan, Italy and Cameroon)

2011 Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2012 Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

*The award was organised by the French soccer magazine 'France Football' until 1994, after which the Confederation of African Football instituted a new award.