Samuel Eto'o crowned African Player of the Year for 2010
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Eto'o takes African crown
Samuel Eto'o rounded off an impressive 12 months by scoring in the Club World Cup finalCameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has been crowned African Player of the Year for 2010 at a glittering awards ceremony in Cairo.
Eto'o, who enjoyed little success with his country but won the Treble with his club Inter Milan last season, becomes the first player to win the award four times.
He finished ahead of Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Ghana and Sunderland forward Asamoah Gyan.
Eto'o won the award three times in a row from 2003 and his latest success means he overtakes other three-time winners Abedi Pele and George Weah.
The 29-year-old was an integral part of Inter's success last term, netting 16 goals during a highly successful campaign under then coach Jose Mourinho.
However, his exploits with the Indomitable Lions were limited as they were bundled out early in both the African Nations Cup and World Cup in South Africa.
In some quarters, that made him second favourite to Gyan, whose goal-scoring exploits took Ghana to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they were eventually beaten on penalties by Uruguay.
Gyan also helped Ghana reach the final of the African Nations Cup, where they lost out to Egypt.
The winner of the award was decided by votes from national coaches of the continent's 53 countries affiliated to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Former Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac was named coach of the year, the Serbian seeing off strong competition from TP Mazembe boss Lamine N'Diaye and Egypt's Hassan Shehata.
Ghana were also voted national team of the year ahead of Algeria and Egypt, while Udinese midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah was named young player of the year ahead of Algeria's Ryad Boudebouz and Niger striker Moussa Maazou.
TP Mazembe, who were beaten by Inter Milan in Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup final, won the best club side award.
Veteran Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan, also the captain of the Pharaohs, won the award for the best Africa-based player.