Agence France Presse

Durban, February 16:

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o was named African Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive time. The announcement came as no surprise after Eto’o told teammates of his impending triumph after a friendly against Senegal in France last week and several journalists overheard the conversation. But the result will be a bitter blow to Nigerian football followers who believed veteran midfielder Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha would win after being voted top player of the 2004 African Cup in Tunisia.

Eto’o could not receive the award personally at a lavish ceremony in the Indian Ocean city as he was scheduled to play in a charity match in Barcelona later Tuesday for victims of the tsunami.

The other finalists were Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and Okocha, who play for English Premieship clubs Chelsea and Bolton respectively.

While Eto’o failed to sparkle in a disappointing Cameroon team at the Nations Cup, he has been outstanding for Spanish league leaders Barcelona, scoring 17 goals in 23 appearances this season.