Lagos — CAF has cut down its shortlist for the 2004 Footballer of the Year award to three players. African football's governing body originally named five players on their shortlist last month.

Reigning African footballer of the year, Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o Fils, the Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and Austin 'Jay-Jay' Okocha captain of Nigeria have all made the final shortlist.

However, Togo's Emmanuel 'Sheyi' Adebayor of French club Monaco and South Africa striker Benni McCarthy of FC Porto in Portugal failed to make it.

Meanwhile, fears are growing that the annual awards gala to honour the continent's top performer in 2004 might turn out to be a damp squib as none of the short-listed players is likely to be in South Africa on February 15.