Nigeria has produced 7 African Player of the Year winners in 33 years

  • Nigerian players have won the award seven times from 1992 to 2025.
  • Ivorian players follow with six wins, driven by their strong presence in the 2000s and 2010s.
  • Only four countries have produced four or more individual winners: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Senegal.
  • Just 12 African nations account for all winners across the 33 years, showing how concentrated elite talent production has been.

Over the past 33 years, the distribution of winners shows that a few footballing nations have consistently produced Africa’s top individual performers. Abedi Pelé (Ghana, winner of the first edition in 1992) kicked off the legacy.

Nigerian players lead the all-time chart with seven wins, a testament to the country’s enduring ability to develop high-level football talent. Close behind are Ivorian players with six wins, forming part of the continent’s most influential era of individual excellence. Cameroon (5) and Senegal (4) also stand out, shaped by legendary careers and generational standout performers who dominated their eras.

Beyond this core group, the pattern becomes more scattered: Morocco and Egypt each account for two wins through standout individuals, while Algeria, Gabon, Liberia, Togo, Mali, and Ghana each appear once.

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), the 2025 awardee, shows that new chapters are being written in the story of Africa’s elite footballers.

Source:

Confederation of African Football (CAF)

Period:

1992-2025
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