The 3 Ghanaian players to have ever won the African Player of the Year Award
The Confederation of African Football is returning with the African Player of the Year award after a three-year hiatus
Four times African champions Ghana have had only three players ever win the coveted award despite producing some of the best on the continent.
Former Marseille star Abedi Pele remains the last Ghanaian footballer to win the African Player of the Year award
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Morocco will host the Confederation of African Football Awards on Thursday, July 21, 2022 following it’s return after a three-year break.
Mane, who has been sitting on the throne since 2019, will face competition from compatriot Edouard Mendy and former teammate Mohamed Salah.
However, in the history of Ghanaian football, only three players from the West African powerhouse have won the award.
Three Ghanaian players that have won the African best player award including Abedi Pele.
Abedi Pele, who won the gong three times on a row, is joined by the legendary Ibrahim Sunday and Abdul Razak Karim.
Ibrahim Sunday
The former Asante Kotoko and Ghana player became the first player for the West African country to win the coveted award. At that time, it was known as the African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball, just like France’s Ballon d’Or.
Sunday beat competition from compatriot and Kotoko teammate Robert Mensah to claim the award in 1971.
Abdul Karim Razak
Abdul Razak, better known in Ghana as the Golden Boy, is the second player from the country to win the African player of the year award. Abdul Razak played for Asante Kotoko just like Ibrahim Sunday.
In 1978, Abdul Razak led Ghana to it’s third Africa Cup of Nations success.
He beat competition from Algeria’s Ali Bencheik, who at that time was playing for MC Alger, and Thomas N’kono of Cameroon.
Abedi Pele
Regarded as one of the greatest African players to play in Europe, Abedi Pele dominated the late eighties and the early nineties. He starred as Olympique Marseille won the 1993 UEFA Champions League title.
Abedi Pele won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1982 as a teenager but blossomed in the 90’s. He was African Player of the Year from 1991 to 1993. George Weah was the man to dethrone him in 1994.
Man who discovered Abedi Pele honoured at Ghana Football Awards
Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Herbert Adika, the man who discovered arguably the greatest Ghanaian footballer of all-time, Abedi Pele, has been honured at the Ghana Football Awards.
The man who is now blind, exposed Abedi Pele to football in the early seventies as he went on to become a global icon.
The Ghana Football Awards honored him with a citation recognizing his role in unearthing the three times African Player of the Year.
Pictures of the three Ghanaian players
Source: Sports Brief News
