Didier Drogba revealed that he hasn't been named African Player of the Year because he refused to attend the ceremony in Togo. Malian striker Frederic Kanoute won the award and was in Lome to be honored. "I received a call in the afternoon (on Friday) from a high-ranking CAF official. He told me that if I didn't appear at the ceremony the rules would be changed, that I would no longer be first and that the prize would go to the runner-up, Frederic Kanoute," the Ivorian striker was quoted saying on Skysports.com. The Chelsea striker refused to travel to Lome as it was just 48 hours before the quarter final crucial clash against Guinea. "We're all working for the African continent, there's a huge media presence in Ghana for a competition that was heavily criticised ten years ago. "So there comes a time when we all have to pull together. I don't think this type of attitude honors Africa, so I've decided to pull out of future elections for the Ballon d'Or. "In my eyes this award has lost its value. I'm a simple player, the decision that I take doesn't hurt a lot of people. Kanoute also revealed that he received the same call just before the nomination. The Malian marksman has been told he won't be allowed to travel to Togo if the team reaches the quarter finals. But the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) spokesman Suleiman Habuba denied completely such allegations and said he called both players to make sure they would be available for the ceremony and nothing else.
