Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien has made the three-man shortlist for the 2005 Caf African Footballer of the Year award.

The Chelsea player, who helped his country qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Germany, will be competing against Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, the reigning African Player of the Year and Ivorian Didier Drogba.

Drogba, who is Essien's team-mate at Chelsea, scored several goals during the African qualifying series that helped his country earn their maiden World Cup appearance.

Togo striker Sheyi Adebayor and Moroccan Maroune Chamakh, were the two players that failed to make the cut from the original list of five.

The winner of the 2005 Caf African Footballer of the Year award will receive the trophy at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, on 9 January.

Summary

• Female player of the year: Perpetua Nkwocha,Vera Okoro(Nigeria)and Adwoa Bayour(Ghana).
• African player of the year: Michael Essien(Ghana,Chelsea),Didier Drogba(Cote D'voire,Chelsea) and Samuel Eto'o Fills(Cameroun,Barcelona)
• National team of the year: Nigeria U-20 team,Hawks of Togo and Elephants of Cote D'voire.
• Coach of the year: Stephen Keshie (Togo),Fahkir Mohammed(Far of Morocco) and Jose M anuel(El Ahly of Egypt).
• Young player of the year :John Mikel Obi,Taye Taiwo(Nigeria) and Farag Ahmed(Egypt).