African Player of the year was voted Jean Manga-Onguene. Second was Segun Odegbami (Shooting Stars, Nigeria) and third -one more Cameroonian, Theophile Abega (Canon). Tradition was continued – except Salif Keita in 1970, no European based player appeared among the top 3 of Africa. Domestic players and even more – only Abega of the top 3 this year eventually played in Europe. The top spent their entire careers at home. Technically, playing amateur football. As ever, international results mattered most – Manga-Onguene and Abega won the African Champions Cup, Odegbami became champion of Africa with Nigeria and played at the Olympic games in Moscow too. There will be always the question were journalists more impressed by one or two important matches than from a whole regular season? Odegbami at least was Nigerian legend, but Abega? Considering that his teammate Thomas N’Kono was out of the top 3 for the first time in three years. Anyhow, those were voted the best and in the case of the winner it was well-deserved first place.
Jean Manga-Onguene was born in 1946, debuted in 1966, and played his whole career for Canon (Yaounde). Eventually, he became one of the best know African players, which was particularly important recognition since he never played in Europe. Prolific striker and key figure for both his club and the national team of Cameroon for 15 years – a true star. A star on continental scale. And it was not a case of just a recognizable player – Manga-Onguene was already 5 times champion of Cameroon, 6 times cup winner, had 3 African Champions Cups and 1 Cup Winners Cup. He was more than instrumental for the success of Canon in the 1970s. Was 1980 – when he was 34 – his best year is questionable, but he was still a winner and a key player. If anything, he deserved to be voted number 1 in Africa more than some other guys crowned earlier. The only thing missing in his impressive career was a World Cup – unfortunately, Cameroon qualified only in 1982 and Manga-Onguene was no longer playing then. But even this success happened – to a point – because of him: he was still a national team player in 1980: the heroes of 1982 grew up along him and inspired by him.