The African Player of the year award has been thrown in to controversy, as it transpires that Seville striker Frederic Kanute was given the award by default.

The award should have been given to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, but he was unable to travel to collect the award. He was told that he if he didnt  appear the rules would be changed and the award would go to the runner up.

Drogba has now said  that he does not want to be considered as a future candidate for the award. The ceremony took place two days before Ivory Coast’s quarter final game against Guinea amid preperations for the game.

An Ivory Coast spokesman has suggested that the Confederation of African Football had “brought itself into disrepute” by its handling of the situation.