Ex-Ghana defender Samuel Osei-Kuffour has revealed that controversially missing out on the 2001 African Footballer of Year award remains a mystery.

The award took place in South Africa where CAF surprisingly named Senegal striker El Hadji Diouf as the winner.

Kuffour had won the Uefa Champions League with German side Bayern Munich and to some he deserved the coveted award than Diouf was then with Lens.

The astute centre-back claims that day remains the saddest in his career.

"I fixed the date for the award with CAF officials and so I was shocked that I didn't win," Kuffour told Joy Sports.

"I met ace commentator Kwabena Yeboah, Herbert Mensah and the late Tony Owusu Amofah on that morning and they all congratulated me before the awards.

"So I was really sad I didn't win.

"I think I deserved that award because I won the BBC African Footballer of the Year and SWAG Sports Personality of the Year.

"I needed the trophy to tell my children about my heroics. I have two boys now and I would have told them that they can do better than I did."

Kuffour will play his testimonial match against the Black Stars in Kumasi on 23 December.

Renowned stars like Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and his former team-mates at Bayern Munich will be in the country