A five-man shortlist has been drawn up for the 2007
African Footballer of the Year award, with the winner to be
announced in February.
Didier Drogba won the award last year, edging out Barcelona's
Samuel Eto'o and Chelsea team-mate Michael Essien.
The Ivory Coast striker is once again in contention, having scored
33 goals during the 2006/07 season and reaching nine in only 15
games so far this campaign.
Ghanaian international Essien is up for the award for a third
successive year after becoming a key player in the heart of
Chelsea's midfield since his £24million move from Lyon.
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is the third English-based player
on the list, although his inclusion is solely down to his club form
after his continued boycott of the Togo national team due to a
financial dispute.
Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra may have had an
inconsistent start to his career at the Bernabeu, but he justifies
his inclusion after helping the team to win La Liga last season and
being an instrumental part of a Mali side which qualified for the
African Cup of Nations from a tough group.
The final candidate is another Mali international, Sevilla striker
Frederic Kanoute. The former West Ham and Spurs forward scored 25
times during the 2006/07 season and has 11 already this term.
If Kanoute were to win the award, he would become the first
European-born player to win the title. Born near Lyon, he played
for France at junior level before switching his international
alligence to Mali in 2004.
The winner will be voted for in a poll of the 53 African national
team coaches and announced at the annual Confederation of African
Football awards ceremony on 1st February.
