Arsenal's Adebayor wins Caf award

Adebayor won the award ahead of Mohamed Aboutrika


Togo and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor was named the Confederation of African Football's Player of the Year on Tuesday.

He took the award ahead of BBC African Footballer of the Year Mohamed Aboutrika of Egypt.

The award was decided by a poll of African national team coaches, and Caf's figures gave Adebayor 74 points to Aboutrika's 53.

Adebayor scored 24 goals in the English Premier League last season.

He also scored four goals in three games for Togo in their World Cup qualifiers.

"I'm highly honoured by what I have done in African football," said Adebayor at the awards ceremony in the Nigerian city of Lagos.

"Now that the World Cup is coming close and is in Africa, we'll work hard to win the championship."

Aboutrika won the Inter-Clubs Player of the Year award, for locally based players.

His club, Al Ahly, was voted Club of the Year, while Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt won the National Team of the Year award and their coach Hassan Shehata was voted Coach of the Year.

Caf award winners:

Caf Player of the Year
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)

Inter-Club Player of the Year
Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly)

National Team of the Year
Egypt

Club of the Year
Al Ahly (Egypt)

Young Player of the Year
Salomon Kalou (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)

Women's footballer of the year
Alice Mattlou (South Africa)

Coach of the Year
Hassan Shehata (Egypt)