Cameroon’s Karl Toko-Ekambi wins Foé prize

Cameroon and Angers striker Karl Toko-Ekambi has been awarded the Marc-Vivien Foé prize for the best African player in France’s Ligue 1.

The winner of the award is decided by a Radio France Internationale (RFI) panel of journalists, at which Toko-Ekambi collected 264 points and easily outstripped the runner-up, Rennes’ Wahbi Khazari, who gathered 135 votes.

The Marc-Vivien Foé prize was named in honour of the late Cameroon midfielder who died after collapsing in 2003 at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon while playing at the 2003 Fifa Confederations Cup.

Previous winners of the award include Andre Ayew, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Gervinho.

Last year’s winner, Ivory Coast and Nice’s Jean Michel Seri, could only manage to pick up eight points in the final voting this season.

First Cameroonian to win the award

The 25-year-old forward, who this season scored 17 goals for Angers, has become the first Cameroonian to win the award.

‘I'm proud to have won this title in front of players who play in big clubs in Ligue 1,’ Toko-Ekambi told the RFI.

He also recognized the job of other African footballers he beat to win the award.

‘I know them especially for playing against them. I do not know them personally. But I know that Bertrand Traore played in big clubs,’ he added.

‘He is young enough but he already has a good record and a lot of great clubs under his belt.

‘And Wahbi Khazri is a major player in the French Championship. It's a big season too.’

Toko-Ekambi was one of the keys for Angers avoiding relegation this season, he was also part of the Cameroon squad that won the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.