Didier Drogba is African Footballer of the Year

Didier Drogba - African Footballer of the year

The Chelsea football club striker, Didier Drogba, who is also Captain of the Ivory Coast National football team has been named African Footballer of the Year. Drogba, who has been having a successful season, scored five goals as Ivory Coast qualified for the 2010 World Cup and also scored for Chelsea in the FA Cup final. His Chelsea team-mate Michael Essien and Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o were also on the shortlist for the award.  Drogba, had won the award before in 2006. Algeria were also named team of the year at the ceremony held in the Ghanaian capital Accra.

The Algerian team qualified for the World Cup finals in South Africa after defeating Egypt in a play-off game. The Chelsea striker has scored 25 goals so far this season for Chelsea. The club is locked in contention for the Premier League title and are still vying for the Champions League and FA Cup. As he celebrated his 32nd birthday, Drogba said that his appetite for the game is as strong as ever. “I still have the same passion for the game, I still feel hungry and I am still chasing medals. I feel really good. As I have said in the past it depends on the injuries you get and this season I can say that I am lucky, or I can say that the few months that I took out last year to get my knee well are now paying off.

He went on to say “Your lifestyle is only as important as your mental approach to the game. If you put in your head that you are 32 and you are old it is going to be difficult. I still feel like a kid when I am on the pitch so sometimes Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has to pull me back.”  Ghanaian striker Dominic Adiyiah picking up the Young Player of the Year award ahead of South African Kermit Erasmus of Feyenoord and Nigeria’s Sani Emmanuel from Bodens BK.  Sellas Tetteh was named Coach of the Year having led the Black Stars’ Under-20 side to World Cup glory last year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo scooped the Africa Club of the Year and Best Player on the Continent awards in the form of Champions League winners TP Mazembe and their captain Tresor Mputu Mabi.  There was also reward for England’s World Cup opponents Algeria, for qualifying for the finals for the first time in 24 years and reaching the African

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