LAGOS - Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor was named
African Footballer of the Year on Tuesday.
The Togo international beat Chelsea's Ghanaian midfielder
Michael Essien and Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika in a poll
of coaches and captains of African national teams by the
Confederation of African Football.
It is the first major award for the lanky striker, recognised
for his goals in the English Premier League and his role in helping
Togo qualify for the last phase of the African qualifiers for the
2010 World Cup.
Adebayor, who turns 25 later this month, scored 24 goals in the
Premier League last season. He got four goals in three games for
Togo in their World Cup qualifiers.
"I'm very happy to have received this award," he told a gala
ceremony in Lagos.
"I'm highly honoured by what I have done in African football and
now that the World Cup is coming close and is in Africa, we'll work
hard to win the championship."
South Africa host the 2010 World Cup, for which Togo are seeking
to qualify for a second successive tournament. They start the last
phase of the qualifiers with a match against Cameroon next
month.
Adebayor succeeded Frederic Kanoute of Mali as winner of the
award, which last year earned unwanted notoriety when officials
decided to give it only to players willing to attend the annual CAF
awards ceremony.
It meant Chelsea's Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, the
popular favourite, was unable to retain the award he won for his
performances in 2006.
Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou, who also plays for Premier
League Chelsea, was named African young player of the year.
