Eto'o retains Africa honour

FC Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o has been named CAF African Player of the Year for the second time running at a ceremony in Durban, South Africa.

Top scorer in Spain
Eto'o, 23, picked up the award last year while playing for RCD Mallorca. Since joining Barça last summer, the player has gone from strength to strength and is currently the top scorer in Spain's Primera División with 17 goals.

Other candidates
Eto'o, who was previously also nominated in 2000 and 2001, collected 116 points in the voting, ahead of of Chelsea FC and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba (90 points), and Bolton Wanderers FC's Nigerian international Jay-Jay Okocha (63).

Racism 'widespread'
On the day Eto'o's award was confirmed, he spoke out against racism in football, saying that "it seems to be coming more widespread and more vitriolic". The Cameroonian international was subject to alleged racial abuse during Barça's 4-1 victory at Real Zaragoza last weekend, although this was not mentioned in the referee's report.

Responsibility
Eto'o, who will play in tonight's Football for Hope match at Camp Nou to raise funds for the tsunami relief effort, added: "Sometimes a club can do something about it, but it is the journalists and the white players who can send the strongest messages against the abuse."

Martins honoured
FC Internazionale Milano striker Obafemi Martins was voted the Young Player of the Year, while the award for Goal of the Year went to FC Porto's South African international Benni McCarthy for one of his two goals against Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League last February.

Award for Weah
At its awards ceremony in Durban, South Africa, CAF also honoured past greats, among them George Weah, the Liberian football star and a hero at Paris Saint-Germain FC and AC Milan in the 1990s, who collected an African Legend award.