Ghana's Asamoah Gyan is a favourite to be named African Footballer of the Year when the continent's football awards are announced in Cairo on Monday.

The Black Stars striker together with Samuel Eto’o and Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba are the three nominees for Caf’s top award, which is voted for by coaches and captains of Africa’s 53 national teams.

Though facing a duo who have between them won the same award five times - three for Eto’o and Drogba's two -, Gyan is yet to win the continental award which would make him the first Ghanaian winner since Abedi Pele last won it in 1993.

Only three Ghanaians - Ibrahim Sunday, Abdul Razak and Abedi Pele - have won the African crown.

Gyan, 25, is a finalist for the first time and his achievements in the year under review would make him a worthy winner after helping an injury-plagued Black Stars reach the final of the African Nations Cup in Angola in January and a quarter-final finish at the World Cup in July where he scored three goals puts him in firm contention for the prize.

He has also made a good start to life in the English Premiership with Sunderland and winning the award would come at the back of another recognition, having been voted the 2010 BBC African Footballer of the Year last Friday.

Though he has done enough, the other two could be a real match to Gyan's bold claim for the award.

However, Gyan is not the only Ghanaian primed for an award tonight.

His national team colleague Kwadwo Asamoah is in the running for the most promising player award. And he faces competition from Algeria's Ryad Boudebouz and Moussa Maazou from Niger.