The Ghana Football Association has sent Black Stars and Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien a hearty message of congratulations for his achievements of being crowned the BBC African Footballer of the Year.

The Ghana player last week won 8000 votes representing 66 of the about 12,000 votes cast to beat Egypt’s Mohammed Aboutrika and Ivorian and his Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba to the award.

Essien became the second Ghanaian to win the award after Samuel Osei Kuffour.

“We recognise this noble achievement as a just reward for a year of hard work, discipline, dedication and commitment to the call of club and country.

“We believe that this award coming at such a time, bears ample testimony to the remarkable efforts and sacrifice that you and your colleagues in the Black Stars team have put in over the past years to lift the flag of Ghana.

“We believe that the award will spur you on to further hard work and greater heights. We have watched with profound admiration your dedication to duty and positive attitude both on and off the field and we believe this award is an ample justification for all your attributes as a professional footballer who has set high standards of excellence for himself.

“Whilst celebrating this award with you, we know that it will inspire you and your colleague teammates as well as the numerous talented Ghanaian footballers to put in the extra effort of hard work, personal sacrifice, dedication and pride to responding to the national call.

“As we enter the final leg in our nation’s preparations to successfully host and possibly win the African Nations Cup 2008, we hope this award will see a fresh renewal of you commitment and those of all your colleagues in the national team to ensure that the much cherished dream of all Ghanaian to win the Cup for a fifth time becomes a reality. Keep up the hard work and positive spirit,” the statement read.

The 24 year-old midfielder in also in the running for the 2006 CAF Footballer of the Year.

Michael Essien has been shortlisted again among the last three which also includes Ivory Coast and Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto Fils.