African Player of the Year, African Ballon d’Or… One trophy, two designations

It is this Monday in Marrakech that the best African player of the year 2024 will be designated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). African player of the year? African Golden Ball? But, actually, what is the real name of this title?

Most African football fans will use, during their heated debates over the next few hours, the term African Golden Ball. However, you will not find any trace of this name in the official CAF documents. And for good reason: the African Ballon d’Or has officially been history since 1994 and the coronation of George Weah.

France Football ahead of CAF

Strictly speaking, this term designated the trophy that the magazine France Footballalso organizer of the “world” Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best African player of the year from 1970 to 1994. However, from 1992, CAF introduced its own trophy, under the term African Player of the Year.

The two prizes coexisted for three editions, before France Football decides to leave the monopoly to CAF. From 2000, the body decided to organize an annual ceremony to mark the occasion and reward other categories, such as coach of the year. This is called CAF Awards.

In the collective imagination, more than African Player of the Yearhowever, it is the term African Ballon d’Or which has imposed itself, probably because it is more striking and closer to the “real” Ballon d’Or. Even if, in itself, talking about an African Ballon d’Or to designate Victor Osimhen’s successor this Monday constitutes a form of abuse of language.

The turning point of 1992

For the record, there were two titles of best African player of the year awarded to separate players in 1993 and 1994. During the first joint edition, in 1992, CAF as France Football had opted for Abedi Pelé. In 1993, on the other hand, while the magazine French had once again acclaimed the Ghanaianit was the late Nigerian striker Rashidi Yekini who was favored by CAF. Same in 1994 when the body opted for another Super EagleEmmanuel Amunike, where FF dedicated George Weah.

A year later, the Ballon d’Or France Footballuntil then reserved for Europeans, opened up to foreign players playing in Europe without barriers linked to nationality, opening the door to one and only African coronation in history, with George Weah in 1995. That year, FF stopped his African Ballon d’Or, even if, ironically, the term passed into posterity.