Drogba To Boycott Future African Player of the Year Awards

Drogba To Boycott Future African Player of the Year Awards

Even while he's still embroiled in a fascinating African Cup of Nations campaign with the Ivory Coast, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba manages to get involved in another controversial off-field incident, this time with the African Player of the Year awards.

After this year's award was given to Sevilla and Mali striker Fredi Kanoute, Drogba issued a statement saying that he was boycotting future African Player of the Year awards after being told he had won this year's award and, after refusing to travel to Togo to receive it, saw it handed instead to Kanoute.

Drogba's insistence that it was ridiculous to expect any player to travel to another country to receive an award two days before a major quarter final in Africa's premier international tournament is spot on and despite the CAF's assertions that Kanoute was always their choice, it's cast a cloud over African football at the worst possible moment.

The world football media's spotlight has been on Ghana for the Cup of Nations and the quality of some of the football has provided a worthy talking point while arguments over African Player of the Year awards and the rights and wrongs of who actually won does nothing but denigrate the reputation of all those involved.