Three African footballers have been shortlisted for the FIFA World Player of the Year 2009.
Cote d’Ivoire striker, Didier Drogba, his Ghanaian Chelsea team mate Michael Essien and Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o were named in a 23-man list announced by World soccer governing body, FIFA, last week.
The inclusion of the trio in the list drawn up by football experts from the Football Committee of FIFA is in recognition of their performances for club and country this year.
Drogba and Essien, guided their national teams, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana to qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup and the Angola 2010 Orange Africa Cup of Nations, whilst Eto’o who joined Italian giants, Inter Milan this summer was an integral part of the Barcelona squad that annexed the UEFA Champions League title last May.
The winner will be decided by votes from captains and head coaches of the National Associations affiliated to FIFA.
At the beginning of December, FIFA will announce the names of five players who have received the most votes and the winner will be revealed at the 19th FIFA World Player Gala at the Zurich Kongresshaus on December 21, 2009.
Of the trio, Eto’o is the only one to have come closest finishing a third behind Brazilian Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard of England in 2005.
Former Liberia International George Weah remains the only African to have annexed the coveted Individual Prize in world football, piping Paolo Maldini ( Italy ) and Jürgen Klinsmann ( Germany ) in 1995.
Meanwhile, Drogba, Eto’o and Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure have also been nominated for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
The African trio and 27 others will vie for the award for the most outstanding player in Europe and organised by France Football magazine.
The winner is voted for by journalists across Europe and will be announced on December 1, 2009.
For the Ballon d’Or also, Weah is the only African winner in 1994.
