The Confederation of African Football, Caf, will announce the winner of the African Footballer of the Year award on the 9th of January in Abuja, Nigeria next year.

The selection of the winner will follow the format adopted for the 2004 award, which was won for the second successive year by Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o Fils.

For the second year running, the continent's 52 national football associations will also vote for the short-listed nominees.

Previously, only members of Caf's media and technical committees selected the recipient of the award.

The ceremony, which will be held on Nigerian soil for the first time ever, will also crown the continent's best female footballer, the best team, best goalkeeper and best goal among other awards.

No Ghanaian player is contention for the African Footballer of the Year, which has Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o Fils, Austin Okocha and Obafemi Martins all gunning for it.