Senegal striker El Hadji Diouf became only the third player in more than three decades to win the African Footballer of the Year award in successive years after being named as the 2002 winner on Tuesday.

The Liverpool striker, who received the Confederation of African Football (Caf) award at its annual dinner, joins Abedi Pele of Ghana and Liberian George Weah as the only players to retain the trophy since the award was started in 1970.

Diouf finished ahead in the polling of his Senegal team mate Pape Bouba Diop of Lens, who scored the opening goal of last year's World Cup finals.

Third was Egyptian striker Ahmed Hossam, who recently moved from Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Celta Vigo in Spain.

Diouf said the award deserved to go to the Senegal team, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in South Korea and Japan.

Senegal were runaway winners of most categories, taking the Team of the Year title and seeing former coach Bruno Metsu named Coach of the Year, also for a second successive year.

Metsu left Senegal after the World Cup to work in the United Arab Emirates.

Tony Sylva of Monaco, who was ever present for Senegal at last year's World Cup and the African Nations Cup finals, was named Goalkeeper of the Year.

Cairo giants Zamalek, who took the African Champions League title last December, won the Club of the Year award and Ahmed Hossam won the Young Player of the Year award.

Raja Casablanca striker Hicham Aboucherouane took the title of best player in last year's African Champions League.

List of winners of the annual African soccer awards for 2002 named by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) on Tuesday:

Footballer of the Year: Al Hadji Diouf (Liverpool FC and

Senegal)


Club of the Year: Zamalek (Egypt)


Coach of the Year: Bruno Metsu (Senegal)


Young Player of the Year: Ahmed Hossam Mido (Ajax Amsterdam and

Egypt)


Best goal: Pape Bouba Diop (Senegal)


Goalkeeper of the year: Tony Sylva (Senegal)


Men's Team of the year: Senegal




Women's team of the year: Senegal


African Champions League Best Player: Hicham Aboucherouane (Raja

Casablanca)


Women's Player of the year: Alberta Sackey (Ghana)


Youth Development Award: Ghana Football Association


Merit Achievement Award: Mwade Wade (Senegal).