The annual Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards ceremony fixed for 9 January in the Nigerian capital Abuja has been postponed.
The ceremony has been delayed following a request from the organisers of the event.
The telephone company that sponsors the ceremony said they could not guarantee the presence of most of the top nominees for the various categories of awards.
Cameroon`s Samuel Eto`o, who has won the individual award in the past two years, Michael Essien of Ghana and Ivorian Didier Drogba are in the running for last year`s Caf African Footballer of the Year.
"We plan to have the three players available for the award," Caf Communications Director Suleiman Habuba told BBC Sport.
"In the past, we gave the award in absentia but that is not the plan for now.
"The sponsors are keen to have them in Abuja and that is still number one on the priority list."
Habuba added that the Caf executive committee will now meet on 16 January in the Egyptian capital Cairo to decide on a new date.
The meeting
comes just four days before Egypt hosts the Nations Cup.
Awards Categories:
Player of the Year
Drogba Didier - Ivory Coast and Chelsea (England)
Michael Essien - Ghana and Chelsea (England)
Samuel Eto`o - Cameroon and Barcelona (Spain)
Young Player of the Year
Farag Ahmed - Egypt and Sochaux (France)
John Mikel Obi - Nigeria and Lyn Oslo (Norway)
Taye Taiwo - Nigeria and Marseille (France)
Female Player of the Year
Adjoa Bayor - Ghana
Okolo Vera - Nigeria
Nkwocha Perpetua - Nigeria
