Osei Kuffour named BBC African Player of the Year

Thomas Freeman Yeboah 12:02 - 04 January 2016

Exactly 14 years today, the former Black Stars defender was named African finest player by BBC

On 4th January, 2002, Samuel Kuffour was named BBC African Player of the Year, after beating off competition from Sierra Leone's Mohammed Kallon and Senegal's El Hadj Diouf to the title.

Thousands of fans took part in the online poll, with Kuffour gaining 55% of the votes cast.

How they finished

1 - Samuel Kuffour (Ghana)

2 - Mohammed Kallon (Sierra Leone)

3 - Al Hadj Diouf (Senegal)

The Ghanaian defender told the BBC he was delighted with the award.

"Today is the fourth, I am the fourth born in my family, and I always wear shirt number four!", he said.

Kuffour is also favourite to land the official title of African Player of the Year.

However, he lost out on the CAF African Footballer of the year to Al Hadj Diouf (Senegal)

Kuffour was a key part of the Bayern Munich team that won the European Cup in May 2001 and which landed the Bundesliga title. He also scored the only goal in the World Club Cup Final against Argentina's Boca Juniors.