Why I'd vote for Mputu
In terms of individual brilliance, year-long consistency and impact made on their team this year, no-one can rival Tresor Mputu Mabi.
The attacking midfielder may not be the best-known on the shortlist for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ African Footballer of the Year award, but those who have seen him in action need no convincing of his talent.
Mputu played a key role in the success of TP Mazembe and the DR Congo national side this year, and he is primed to explode somewhere in Europe in 2010.
The attacking midfielder has established himself as one of the very best footballers playing on the African continent.
Actually, let's cut short the debate – there's no question that Mputu has been the best in Africa this year.
The fact that he won the player of the tournament award as he captained DR Congo to victory at the inaugural African Nations Championship in March in the Ivory Coast speaks for itself.
His class and exquisite skills were even more clearly demonstrated as he led TP Mazembe to success in a gruelling campaign in the African Champions League.
He drove the team throughout their long slog around Africa that lasted from March to November, with his seven goals making him the second-highest scorer in the competition.
The man who lifted the Champions League trophy in Lubumbashi in November is certain to join a top club in Europe next year and it's a credit to him as an individual that he kept a promise to stay at the club to help them win the competition.
We should send him on his way to greater glory by handing him the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ African Footballer of the Year award – no-one deserves it more than him.