Chelsea’s Ghana international Michael Essien was on Friday named the BBC’s African Footballer of the year, carrying off the title with a massive 66% of the vote.
The 24-year-old midfielder was named ahead of Mohammed Aboutrika, of Egyptian club side El Ahly, while Essien’s colleague at the English champions, Didier Drogba, of Côte d’Ivoire, came third.
More than 12 000 listeners to BBC World Service’s Fast Track African sports programme voted in the poll, which was run in conjunction with the broadcaster’s website.
Previous winners include Senegal’s El-Hadji Diouf, Egypt’s Mohamed Barakat, Sammy Kuffour of Ghana and Nigeria’s Jay Jay Okocha, who won the award twice, in 2003 and 2004. — Sapa-AFP