TVCE (SOCCER) – Gabon and Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has won the 2015 Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year award, ending the dominance of Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City Star Yaya Toure.
Toure, Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester city striker had won the award for four straight years before ending up behind Aubameyan on Thursday in Abuja with Ghana and Swansea City Star, Andre Ayew emerged as the second runner up.
Aubameyang has been in phenomenal form for Dortmund this season, scoring 27 goals in all competitions in as many appearances.
Born in 1989, he started his career at Milan before joining Saint Ettienne in 2011 after four loan spells with clubs in France.
The 26-year-old joined Dortmund in 2013 and has since made a mark on the German club, winning two DFL Supercup in 2013 and 2014.
Although Dortmund has no desire to sell the player, several top clubs are interested in signing him with reports emerging on Thursday that Arsenal may bid for him.
With a transfer fee expected to be as high as £60m, long-term admirer Arsene Wenger may opt to look elsewhere for talent.
1970: Salif Keita (St Etienne, France and Mali)
1971: Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)
1972: Cherif Souleymane (Hafia and Guinea)
1973: Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe Englebert and Zaire)
1974: Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville and Congo)
1975: Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia and Morocco)
1976: Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1977: Tarak Dhiab (Esperance and Tunisia)
1978: Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)
1979: Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1980: Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)
1981: Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara and Algeria)
1982: Thomas Nkono (Espanyol, Spain and Cameroon)
1983: Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli and Egypt)
1984: Theophile Abega (Toulouse, France and Cameroon)
1985: Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces and Morocco)
1986: Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca, Spain and Morocco)
1987: Rabah Madjer (FC Porto, Portugal and Algeria)
1988: Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges, Belgium and Zambia)
1989: George Weah (Monaco, France and Liberia)
1990: Roger Milla (St Denis, Reunion and Cameroon)
1991: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)
1992: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)
1993: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Lyonnaise, France and Ghana)
1994: George Weah (Paris St Germain, France and Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal and Nigeria)
1995: George Weah (AC Milan, Italy and Liberia)
1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italy and Nigeria)
1997: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France and Nigeria)
1998: Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Spain and Morocco)
1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England and Nigeria)
2000: Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy and Cameroon)
2001: El Hadji Diouf (Rennes, France and Senegal)
2002: El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool, England and Senegal)
2003: Samuel Eto’o (Real Mallorca, Spain and Cameroon)
2004: Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)
2005: Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, Spain and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, England and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan, Italy and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund, Germany and Gabon)
Meanwhile, until 1994, the prestigious award was organised by the French soccer magazine ‘France Football’ after which the Confederation of African Football instituted a new award
