African Player Of The Year
1st Chérif Souleymane (Guinea) Hafia 21
2nd Bwanga Tshimen (Zaire) TP Mazembe 16
3rd Petit Sory (Guinea) Hafia 14
Cherif Souleymane, born in 1944, started his playing career at 17, when he stadied in DDR to become a plumber. Switched to studying architecture, because it was easier to play football that way – as he revealed years later. So, very unusually for the time, he started playing in Europe and in East Germany at that: first for TSG Neustrelitz (1961-62) and later for SC Neubrandenburg (1962-65) in the Second Division of DDR. In 1965 he returned to Guinea and joined Hafia, than named Conacry II, and stayed with them to the end of his playing days in 1980. He was national team player for Guinea since 1965 and, so far, is the only Guinean voted African Player of the Year. Considering the success of Hafia and his contribution to it – well deserved award.