Eto’o was bestowed with the award at the impressive GLO-CAF Awards ceremony staged at the cavernous International Conference Centre in Nigeria’s capital of Abuja.

The young super star, who was clad in a traditional attire, personally received the award which he dedicated to all children of Africa.

"Young African brothers, you have to be aware that there is no more beautiful goal in the world than serving Africa," he said.

Eto’o, who garnered 108 points to win the award, was followed by Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and Michael Essien of Ghana came third.

The award capped a series of other honours given out by the organisers in the different categories and witnessed by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, CAF President Issa Hayatou and Mike Adenuga, owner of award sponsor Globacom, the Nigerian telecommunications giant.

Obasanjo bagged the GLO-CAF Platinum Award, which was given in appreciation of his support for the development of football in Africa.

Other winners included Young African Player of the Year (John Mikel Obi of Nigeria) ; Female Footballer of the Year (Perpetua Nkwocha of Nigeria) ; Inter-Club Player of the Year (Mohammed Barakat, Al Ahly of Egypt) ; Coach of the Year (Stephen Keshi, coach of Togo’s national team) and Football ; Club of the Year (Al Ahly of Egypt).

The rest are National Team of the Year to Cote d’Ivoire ; Fair Play Award to Cameroon ; Supporters’ Club of the Year to Nigeria supporters club ; Merit Order of Achievement to Peter Odili, Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria African Legend Award to Rabah Madjer of Algeria.

Eto’o, Drogba, Mikel Obi, Joseph Yobo and Barakat were also among players who were named into Africa’s finest Eleven.

1970 : Salif Keïta (St Etienne, France et Mali)
1971 : Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko du Ghana)
1972 : Cherif Souleymane (Hafia de Guinée)
1973 : Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe Englebert du Zaïre)
1974 : Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville du Congo)
1975 : Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia du Maroc)
1976 : Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde du Cameroun)
1977 : Tarak Dhiab (Esperance de Tunisie)
1978 : Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko du Ghana)
1979 : Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde du Cameroun)
1980 : Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde du Cameroun)
1981 : Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara d’Algérie)
1982 : Thomas Nkono (Espanyol, Espagne et Cameroun)
1983 : Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli d’Egypte)
1984 : Theophile Abega (Toulouse, France et Cameroun)
1985 : Mohamed Timoumi (Forces armées royales et Maroc)
1986 : Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca, Espagne et Maroc)
1987 : Rabah Madjer (FC Porto, Portugal et Algérie)
1988 : Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges, Belgique et Zambie)
1989 : George Weah (Monaco, France et Liberia)
1990 : Roger Milla (St Denis, Réunion et Cameroun)
1991 : Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille, France et Ghana)
1992 : Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille, France et Ghana)
1993 : Rashidi Yekini (Victoria Setubal, Portugal et Nigeria)
1994 : Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal et Nigeria)
1995 : George Weah (AC Milan, Italie et Liberia)
1996 : Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italie et Nigeria)
1997 : Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France et Nigeria)
1998 : Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Espagne et Maroc)
1999 : Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, Angleterre et Nigeria)
2000 : Patrick Mboma (Parme, Italie et Cameroun)
2001 : El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Rennes, France et Sénégal)
2002 : El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Liverpool, Angleterre et Sénégal)
2003 : Samuel Eto’o (Real Mallorca, Espagne et Cameroun)
2004 : Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Espagne et Cameroun)
2005 : Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, Espagne et Cameroun)