I should have won African Best award in 1999 and 2001 - Bayern Munich legend Sammy Kuffour

Published on: 26 April 2020
I should have won African Best award in 1999 and 2001 - Bayern Munich legend Sammy Kuffour
Sammy Kuffour

Former Ghana defender Sammy Kuffour insists he was robbed by Confederation of African Football (CAF) after failing to win the Footballer of the Year awards in 1999 and 2001. 

The Bayern Munich legend placed second on both occasions. In 1999, he lost to Arsenal and Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu despite an impressive season with the German giants where he won the league and finished second in the Uefa Champions League.

Two years later, Kuffour won Bundesliga, Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup with Bayern Munich but was beaten to the individual gong by Senegal and Lens winger El-Hadji Diouf.

"I think I should have won the two of them, because, in 1999, Kanu was injured for [almost] the whole year. He scored a hat-trick [against Chelsea] but how many games did he play? Last time, he and I were debating, we were talking about it," he told Goal.com

"Kanu and I go a long way, we have been very good friends. We were discussing the issue and it turned into laughter. For me, I think I deserved to win in 1999. Even the guy who came third, [Ibrahima] Bakayoko [of Mali] told me I deserved to win it.

He added, "In 2001, even for the BBC African Player of the Year, El-Hadji Diouf was not even part of it. It was me, Mohammed Kallon of Sierra Leone and Samuel Eto’o. So why should El-Hadji Diouf win [the Caf award]?"

"If you become the African Player of the Year, they [Caf] will call you to tell you. You have to choose the venue and date. And I did that: I chose the venue and date. Even today, a lot of people ask about that; they were shocked. How?

"You play Africa Cup of Nations in January and you didn’t win the trophy. I won the league, FA Cup, the Champions League, the Inter-continental Cup – I was the [Man of the Match], I was the best defender in the German league, so how? I don’t know. I don’t think about it. We talk about it and we laugh – me and my children."

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