Africanews’ Walter Nana Wilson from Cameroon, Kingsley Kobo of Ivory Coast and Kent Mensah in Ghana weigh the chances of the three top African players all of whom have what it takes to snatch the coveted awards.

Question: Why would Eto’o win for the fourth time?

Walter: Within the CAF time frame of the award, the 2008/2009 football season in the African continent with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and professional football at FC Barcelona, “Eto’o had an outstanding football time,” comments Sports Journalist, Innocent Ndamsa Mbunwe of The Post Newspaper, Buea, Cameroon.

At the professional level, Eto’o grabbed four titles in Barça and across continental Europe. These included; the Spanish Kings Cup, the Spanish Queen’s Cup, the Spanish La Liga and the prestigious European Champions League. In the 2009 Euro Champions League final played at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Eto’o at the Spanish La Liga Club, Barcelona, bashed England’s Manchester United 2- 0, with Eto’o opening scores. Besides making decisive contributions to the huge successes of Juan Laporta’s team Eto’o came out the second highest goal scorer, in the Spanish League, with 31 goals to his credit.

In the African continent, Eto’o had a splendid start of the 2008/2009 football year. He beat the records of Ivorian Laurent Poku as the highest goal scorer in the history of the African Cup of Nations. He took off at the AFCON 2008 in Ghana, scoring six goals and will continue at AFCON 2010 in Angola, with two goals. Therefore Eto’o has scored 18 goals as a single player in the annals of the African Cup of Nations.

To the build up to the joint African Cup of Nations and World Cup 2010 eliminatories Eto’o subsequently stepped in as the captain of the Lions of Cameroon. With this new found responsibilities and Cameroon tailing Group A in the beginning, Eto’o, contributed significantly in reversing the trend on the positive side for Cameroon. He scored some of the necessary goals that put Cameroon on the spotlight and eventual qualification for Angola and South Africa.

I hope CAF respect the expected time frame then Eto’o is on his way for a fourth award.

Question: Can Drogba repeat the 2006 feat in Accra again?

Kingsley: I would say it will be a bit difficult. Didier Drogba kick started his 2009 season with some hitches. Firstly, he was hampered by injuries and then Scolari's arrival at Chelsea kept him out of play for a while. It was not until Guus Hiddink takeover that Drogba could bounce back to real form.

Although he scored about 14 goals in the Premiership, he was not as awesome as in previous seasons. However, Drogba could reinstate his phenomenal goal-scoring status both at Stamford Bridge and across England during 2009.

Back home in the Ivory Coast, Drogba successfully captained the Elephants through their World Cup/AFCON qualifiers campaigns. His equaliser against Malawi in October 2009 booked Ivory Coast’s ticket for their second World Cup.

I began by saying it might be hard for Didier Drogba to claim his second continental individual title in Accra, Ghana tonight because of the presence on list of Samuel Eto’o, who realised a wonderful 2009 season with a number of titles, and also Michael Essien, who might seduce voters since he is the only yet to win this award among the trio contenders.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed. There will be tension and passion tonight at the Banquet Hall in Accra.

Question: Can Essien grab it for the first time in his life?

Kent: The midfield darling boy has been a casualty of many prestigious awards. He has been nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award on three occasions and also a three-time nominee for Ballon d'Or. Even the continental award has eluded him on one or two occasions. It’s about time he pencil his name in the CAF awards Hall of Fame.

2009 for Essien has not been all smooth. A ligament injury in late 2008 spill into the year under review. However, he was pivotal in Ghana’s qualification to the just ended African Cup of Nations in Angola and summer World Cup on home soil here in Africa. He would be remembered for that wonderful piledriver against Barcelona in their champions league final and the premier league game against Arsenal. He was voted as the Best African Footballer of the Year in 2006 but lost to club teammate Drogba. But he took solace in winning the 2006 BBC African footballer of the year award.