Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba was on Thursday named African Footballer of the Year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on its website.
In 2006, Drogba helped Ivory Coast reach the final of the African Nations Cup and played in the World Cup finals.
He beat Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, the winner in 2003, 2004, 2005, into second place with his Chelsea teammate, Michael Essien of Ghana, in third place.
The 28-year-old Drogba scored both goals in Chelsea's League Cup final win over Arsenal last weekend. He also played in Chelsea's Premiership-winning teams of 2005 and 2006