Первоначально награду лучшему футболисту Африки вручал французский журнал «France Football»:

France Football African's Player of the Year 1970-1994

Year   Player                    Country              Club
1970   Salif KEITA               Mali                 AS Saint-Etienne (Fra)
1971   Ibrahim SUNDAY            Ghana                Asante Kotoko (Gha)
1972   Cherif SOULEYMANE         Guinea               Hafia Conakry (Gui)
1973   Tshimimu BWANGA           Zaire                TP Mazembe (Zai)
1974   Paul MOUKILA              Congo                CARA Brazzaville (Cog)
1975   Ahmed FARAS               Morocco              SC Chabab Mohammedia (Mor)
1976   Roger MILLA               Cameroon             Canon Yaounde (Cmr)
1977   Tarak DHIAB               Tunisia              Esperance Tunis (Tun)
1978   Abdul RAZAK               Ghana                Asante Kotoko (Gha)
1979   Thomas N'KONO             Cameroon             Canon Yaounde (Cmr)
1980   Jean MANGA-ONGUENE        Cameroon             Canon Yaounde (Cmr)
1981   Lakhdar BELLOUMI          Algeria              GCR Mascara (Alg)
1982   Thomas N'KONO             Cameroon             RCD Espanol (Esp)
1983   Mahmmoud AL-KHATIB        Egypt                Al-Ahly (Egy)
1984   Teophile ABEGA            Cameroon             Toulouse FC (Fra)
1985   Mohammed TIMOUMI          Morocco              FAR Rabat (Mor)
1986   Badou ZAKI                Morocco              RCD Mallorca (Esp)
1987   Rabah MADJER              Algeria              FC Porto (Por)
1988   Kalusha BWALYA            Zambia               Cercle Brugge (Bel)
1989   George WEAH               Liberia              AS Monaco (Fra)
1990   Roger MILLA               Cameroon             CS Saint Denis (Reu)
1991   Abedi AYEW PELE           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1992   Abedi AYEW PELE           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1993   Abedi AYEW PELE           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1994   George WEAH               Liberia              Paris Saint-Germain (Fra)

Затем приз учередила африканская футбольная федерация.

CAF's African Player of the Year 1992-2005

Year   Player                    Country              Club   
1992   Abedi AYEW PELE           Ghana                Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1993   Rashidi YEKINI            Nigeria              Vitória FC Setubal (Por)
1994   Emmanuel AMUNIKE          Nigeria              Sporting CP (Por)
1995   George WEAH               Liberia              Milan AC (Ita)
1996   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Internazionale (Ita)
1997   Victor IKPEBA             Nigeria              AS Monaco (Fra)
1998   Mustapha HADJI            Morocco              Deportivo La Coruna (Esp)
1999   Nwankwo KANU              Nigeria              Arsenal (Eng)
2000   Patrick MBOMA             Cameroon             Parma AC (Ita)
2001   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra)
2002   El-Hadji DIOUF            Senegal              RC Lens (Fra) / Liverpool FC (Eng)
2003   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Real Mallorca (Spa)
2004   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             Real Mallorca (Spa) / FC Barcelona (Spa)
2005   Samuel ETO'O              Cameroon             FC Barcelona (Spa)