Caf is celebrating its fiftieth year in 2007

Followers of African football will be able to vote through Caf's website ahead of the confederation's fiftieth anniversary next year.

Caf has picked 200 players who have made an impact on the continent since its founding in 1957, with the selection based on performances at national and international level.

Fans can either pick a player from the list or nominate one of their own choice, explaining their reasons with a brief message.

The vote expires on 15 November, following which Caf will determine the top 50 players voted for by the public.

Then, from December until 8 February, the date in 1957 when African football's ruling body was founded, Caf will publish the favoured 50 players in descending order (ending with the public's favoured choice).

The Confederation is planning several events to commemorate the date, including a youth tournament involving Caf's four founder members - Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan.

For a full list of the players and how to register your vote, visit the Caf website - www.cafonline.com.

So who will you be voting for - and why?

Please use the form on the right to send us your comments (as well as a telephone number we can reach you on), some of which will be published below as well as appear in our African sports programme Fast Track.

This is a good idea but I do not think the best player will be reflected as many people will tend to vote for their compatriots with very few cross-national choices. Good idea though.
Makweley Lysongo, a Cameroonian resident in London

Abedi Pele: forget all the awards he won, he was simply "Football in person."
Bright, USA

Despite being a Ghanaian, I am voting for George Weah as the best African player for the past 50 years.
A K Danso, Ghana

Why is Caf wasting its time? Everyone knows that George Weah has had the most significant impact of all great African footballers.
Abiola, USA/Nigeria

I think Samuel Eto'o has been the best player of the last 50 years.
Oyerinde Oyekunle, Nigeria

George Weah is by far the greatest soccer player to have ever emerged from Africa. No disrespect to the Millas, Peles, Yeboahs, Bwalyas, Mendys, Belloumis, Madjers, Hassans, Eto'os and Okochas of this world, but nobody else has done it as much as George has. The records speak for themselves -- African player of the year (1989, 1994, and 1995), European Player of the Year, Fifa World Footballer of the Year, Onze Mondial Award, Fifa Fair Play award 1996, Fifa World Footballer of the Year runner-up etc. Give the man his due!
Christian Allison, Liberia

Samuel Eto'o has got all the medals to make him the best in the past 50 years. Two-time African champion (2000/2002), Olympic gold medallist(2000), Spanish best scorer etc. etc.
Kimbi Cyprain Kongnyu, Cameroon

In terms of skills and natural talents, Jay-Jay Okocha is the man. You need to watch him on the pitch and you will realise that the man who scored the 1000th goal of the Nations Cup deserves this honourable award.
Cool Gee, Nigeria

The most talented African player ever is Egypt's Mahmud Khateib, who demonstrated his magic in the seventies and eighties of the last century.
Tarek Othman, Canada

This is a good idea by Caf, but I think it is a little premature in its conception, and the time-span is too vast. The greatest page in the history of the African game is being written in our time. Today we do not have just one hero from the continent doing great things in Europe, but some five or six outstanding players among a rich crop of emerging talent. Five years from today, I believe Africa will have a strong grip on the game. I suggest they split it in two cycles of 25 years each! However, I strongly believe that before the dust settles it will become obvious that Samuel Eto'o is the best player to have emerged from the African continent.
Joseph Ndode, a Cameroonian in the US

Many great players have emerged from Africa in the likes of Milla, Okocha, Pele, Yeboah, Kanu, Chukwu, Titi Camara, Bwalya, Mendy, Belloumi, Madjer, Hassan, Eto'o and Drogba. But the greatest player this continent ever produced is George Weah. He has made Africans Proud. He is simply the man.
Noble Henry, Nigeria

It has to be Samuel Eto'o - for what he has achieved thus far is nothing short of amazing, and he still has a few more years to go. But the list of best players is too long - long live African football!
Sayed Otaru, USA

All the players voted are the best because they played in Europe. But don't forget Ndaye Mutumbula from Congo who scored 9 goals at the 1974 Nations Cup and no one has done that until now. He is the best in my opinion.
Baylon Salumu, DR Congo

Although I am Moroccan, there is no doubt that Cameroon's Roger Milla was the best African player over the last 50 years!
Nordin el Otmani, Netherlands

Africa is continent where football is played with passion and for passion and thus has produced a lot of players with flair. Beyond every doubt, George Weah has made the most impact on the game in the continent even without appearing at the world. As a player he was terrific and even went as far as sponsoring his national team when his country could not afford to do so.
Vitalis Ozorji, Lagos, Nigeria

50 years is too long as most respondents will only know the period after 1990 or so. So those from the 70s, 60, 50s might not be known or notice. How do we consider players during the apartheid area in South Africa? Players like Jomo Sono were isolated from Africa so they might get zero votes? And what about George Shaya of Zimbabwe in the 70s? However, there are no two-ways about it - George Weah is the best so far.
Marufu Mavure, South Africa

I am grateful for what Caf has done to remember those people but it should have been done in regions like choosing the best from east, west, central and south Africa so that the thing is more African. Although I don't see any other player beating the West Africans, my vote would go to the former fallen comrade Majid Musisi of Uganda. He had power and the skill to do anything on the pitch.
Ssali Mahadi, Uganda

I agree with Makweley Lysongo. People are bound to choose from their fellow countrymen. I have followed football from a tender age, and have seen many great Africans. The likes of Yeboah, Pele, Yekini, Eto'o just to mention a few. I doubt if anyone comes ahead of the legendary George Weah. He was in a class of his own by African standards.
Kavin Ngwende, Zimbabwe

I choose Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan with his great history as a two-time African Cup of Nations champion, as well as his many club championships with Egyptian giants Ahly and Zamalek. He also led Egypt to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and he played as a professional in Europe to two teams. I think he deserves to be the best African players of the last 50 years.
Hany Assal, Egypt

George Weah has done way more than Napoleon in terms of African football bar none! I think this is a no-brainer, despite the fact that I'm a Nigerian.
Nsisong Amama, a Nigerian living in the US

Moroccan goalkeeper Badou Zaki is the best as he Africa really well.
Khalid B, US

It's high time that Egyptian giant Hany Ramzy is recognised by the African continent as a player who gave so much for his country and built a very good reputation for all African players in Europe.
Kareem Bissada, Cairo

I remember those bygone days when Lakda Belloumi reigned supreme on the continent. People are forgetting the exploits of other eminent and supremely talented footballers such as Algeria's Rabah Madjer as well. These football stars of old shone gloriously before Africa began to export its talent to Europe. I feel they will be worthy contenders too, with all due respect to recent stars such as Weah, Eto'o, Okocha et al.
Olukayode Akingbogun, United Kingdom

Stephen Keshi is Africa's best player over the last fifty years. My opinion is based on the fact that it was Keshi who started the mass exodus of African players to Europe. Many African players left for Europe before Keshi, but it was Keshi's personal efforts in helping a lot of Nigerian and other West African players secure places in European clubs. This bandwagon effect has revolutionised African football in the last fifty years.
Anthony Okosun, U.S.A.

I am 43 years old and have been following African football for all these years. Abedi Pele of Ghana is my choice as the best. Pele pulls fans and brings all the entertainment to the game. You can't stop watching him play. Be seen in defence, midfield, attack and score vital goals.
Dominic, USA

I think George Weah played some fantastic football and should be the best. Caf missed out George Finidi. I think he remains one of the world's best right wingers and should have been listed considering what he achieved with Ajax and Nigeria.
Jude Ike, Lagos, Nigeria

In my own considered view, the great George Weah is the best African player of the last 50 years. This is accentuated by the very fact that he is the only player from Africa to have won the much-coveted Fifa World Footballer of the Year award.
Prince Nnamah, Nigeria