The list is seemingly exhaustive - Drogba has made a return, Yaya Toure is still going strong in Manchester, Brown Ideye has joined the big boys, Algeria's Taider, Mali's Maiga, Nigeria's Odemwingie....it just goes on and on.

This season that is about to start, there will be more than 40 African players featuring in the English Premier League.

And New African Soccer is planning on recognising and celebrating our very own, regularly, on a monthly basis.

This is why we are introducing BPL African Player of the Month awards, to be given to African players in the Premier League, every month.

Elaborating further, Publisher and Chief Executive of New African Soccer, Tunde Adelakun said "we want to celebrate our players in every way possible. We have always advocated that what Africans do that is positive should be celebrated and acknowledged, and players who come to the most watched league in the world deserve to be acknowledged". Continuing, Adelakun says, "African players have contributed significantly to the success that is the English Premier League. Players like Kanu, Okocha, Drogba, Yeboah, Radebe and lately, Yaya Toure all come readily to mind. It will be nice to give them more recognition by our own".

The format of the awards will be such that social media will be used to get votes each month, for the African player that excels in the course of the month. In the first week of the following month, we will announce the winner and proceed to present him with his award.

"It will raise the awareness of our people to the exploits of Africans in the big leagues in Europe, starting with the Premier League. And will serve as motivation to the young ones who aspire to play football that rewards and recognition comes in all shapes and sizes, wherever they play", Adelakun explained further, while also stating that a similar initiative will be launched for the wider European leagues in the near future.

Tunde Adelakun is also the Director of CAF's African Football Hall of Fame and seems to be carving a niche for himself as an advocate of recognition and celebration of positive contributors to the game of football in Africa.

So, readers are advised to keep the votes coming, through our twitter page (@nasmagazine), our Facebook page (Facebook.com/newafricansoccer) or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your vote.