BARCELONA striker Samuel Eto'o is aiming to collect a third successive African Footballer of the Year award. Should he be successful, he would be the first player to achieve such a remarkable feat. Since its introduction in 1970, only three players have managed to win the award in two successive seasons. Ghana's Abedi Pele collected the trophy in 1991 and 1992 as acknowledgement of his dazzling performances with Olympique Marseille. El Hadji Diouf did likewise a decade later - first while at Rennes, then Liverpool. Current title holder Eto'o, who is making his fifth appearance in the shortlist this time around, was voted best player in 2004 whilst he was on the books at Mallorca and successfully defended the title last year following his switch to Barcelona. The 24-year-old was desperately close to finishing his debut season at Camp Nou as top scorer in Spain's Primera Division. He registered 24 times, accounting for more than a third of the team's overall goal tally as Barcelona raced to an 17th league title. However, a goal against his former club on 19 February which he deflected into the net was accredited to his teammate Deco. Had it been given his way, Eto'o would have equalled Villarreal's Diego Forlan and Arsenal's Thierry Henry as the leading goal scorer in Europe. Eto'o, who has already chalked up 10 goals in 12 games this term, finds himself in a strong position for when the identity of the continent's best footballer during 2005 is announced at the annual African football awards, this time to be hosted in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on 9 January. Up against him are four candidates named on a shortlist voted by the Confederation of African Football's media and technical committees. Two of the quartet of candidates -- Chelsea teammates Didier Drogba and Michael Essien -- pose the biggest threat to the Barcelona player's ambitions of a record achievement. Completing the finalists are Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor and Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh. Drogba and Essien go into the contest as being key components for their respective countries in successful qualification for the 2006 World Cup Germany finals while in contrast Eto'o failed in his bid play in a third successive World Cup finals tournament after Cameroon bowed out at the qualifying stages on a dramatic final day of action. Drogba's nine goals helped the Ivory Coast gain a first-ever World Cup finals berth while Ghana will also make their debut in Germany after Essien played a major role as the Black Stars' finished top of their group. All three major candidates have reaped success over the last 12 months at club level to add to their chances of taking the coveted trophy. Drogba played a part in Chelsea's side first English Premiership title in 50 years and scored during the Carling Cup final triumph in February. Chelsea were also UEFA Champions League semi-finalists but were edged out a place in the final by eventual winners Liverpool. Essien meanwhile was voted as the best player in France's Ligue 1 by his colleagues after becoming the driving force behind yet another title success for Olympique Lyon. His subsequent move to Chelsea to join Drogba in August made his the most expensive African footballer ever. Adebayor and Chamakh are also in with a decent chance of scooping the trophy. The Togolese striker finished as the top goal scorer in the African qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup finals. To his credit, Adebayor hit 10 goals for Togo as they became the surprise package in qualifying. Girondins Bordeaux player Chamakh meanwhile, has been in impressive form even if he could do little to avoid Morocco's failed bid to make it to Germany despite finishing the qualifying stage unbeaten. Other names that just missed the shortlist include French Cup winner Bonaventure Kalou and his Ivorian teammate Kolo Toure, who was a FA Cup winner with Arsenal and the Angolan captain Akwa. Nor did Mali defender Djimi Traore, a UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool, find himself nominated in the last five on this occasion. The African Footballer of the Year will be chosen by the coaches of CAF's 53-member countries and announced as the highlight of the gala evening early next year, on the eve of the African Nations Cup finals in which all five candidates will be playing.
