Full list of African Footballer of the Year award winners:

1970: Salif Keita (St Etienne, France and Mali)

1971: Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1972: Cherif Souleymane (Hafia and Guinea)

1973: Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe Englebert and Zaire)

1974: Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville and Congo)

1975: Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia and Morocco)

1976: Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1977: Tarak Dhiab (Esperance and Tunisia)

1978: Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1979: Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1980: Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1981: Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara and Algeria)

1982: Thomas Nkono (Espanyol, Spain and Cameroon)

1983: Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli and Egypt)

1984: Theophile Abega (Toulouse, France and Cameroon)

1985: Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces and Morocco)

1986: Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca, Spain and Morocco)

1987: Rabah Madjer (FC Porto, Portugal and Algeria)

1988: Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges, Belgium and Zambia)

1989: George Weah (Monaco, France and Liberia)

1990: Roger Milla (St Denis, Reunion and Cameroon)

1991: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1992: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1993: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Lyonnaise, France and Ghana)

1994: George Weah (Paris St Germain, France and Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal and Nigeria)

1995: George Weah (AC Milan, Italy and Liberia)

1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italy and Nigeria)

1997: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France and Nigeria)

1998: Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Spain and Morocco)

1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England and Nigeria)

2000: Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy and Cameroon)

2001: El Hadji Diouf (Rennes, France and Senegal)

2002: El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool, England and Senegal)

2003: Samuel Eto’o (Real Mallorca, Spain and Cameroon)

2004: Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2005: Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, Spain and Mali)

2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, England and Togo)

2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan, Italy and Cameroon)

2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund, Germany and Gabon)

2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City, England and Algeria)

2017: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England and Egypt)

Note: The award was organised by the French soccer magazine 'France Football' until 1994, after which the Confederation of African Football instituted a new award.