The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has named Roger Milla as the best African player of the past 50 years.

The Cameroon World Cup star was chosen in a poll by followers of African football through CAF's website ahead of the confederation's fiftieth anniversary celebrations next month.

Milla, who starred at three World Cups with the Indomitable Lions (1982, 1990 and 1994), polled a total 2246 points to beat Egypt's Mahmoud El-Khatib, who recorded 2165 points.

Milla first won the African Footballer of the Year title in 1976 and regained it fourteen years later, after leading the Indomitable Lions to the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup at the ripe age of 38.

In 1994, he became the oldest player in World Cup history to score a goal, getting Cameroon's lone strike in a 1-6 loss to Russia.

In the top 10 are Hossam Hassan (Egypt/2011 points), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/1840), Abedi Pele (Ghana/1783), George Weah (Liberia/1604), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/1467), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria/1209), Rabeh Madjer (Algeria/1176) and Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia/1073).

CAF is planning several events to commemorate fiftieth anniversary celebrations, including a youth tournament involving CAF's four founder members - Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan.

Poll result: Top 20 Africans from past 50 years

(Position, player, country, votes. Asterik denotes active footballer)

01. Roger Milla Cameroon 2,246
02. Mahmoud al-Khatib Egypt 2,165
03. Hossam Hassan* Egypt 2,011
04. Samuel Eto'o* Cameroon 1,840
05. Abedi Pele Ghana 1,783
06. George Weah Liberia 1,604
07. Didier Drogba* Ivory Coast 1,467
08. Nwankwo Kanu* Nigeria 1,209
09. Rabeh Madjer Algeria 1,176
10. Kalusha Bwalya Zambia 1,073
11. Michael Essien* Ghana 996
12. Austin Okocha* Nigeria 921
13. Saleh Selim Egypt 850
14. Lahcene Lalmas Algeria 791
15. Benni McCarthy* South Africa 782
16. El-Hadji Diouf* Senegal 711
17. Noureddine Naybet* Morocco 692
18. Rashidi Yekini Nigeria 649
19. Hany Ramzy Egypt 608
20. Hassan Shehata Egypt 605

Roger Milla voted CAF's best from past 50 years