Michael Essien has made the cut for a place in the final three names for this year’s African Player of the Year award.

The Ghana and Chelsea midfield dynamo will compete with Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Al-Ahly Mohamed Aboutreika following the omission of fellow club-mate Didier Drogba and Wigan’s Amr Zaki from an earlier five-man shortlist.

Essien, out of action following a knee injury in September, finished second in last year's award. 

The winner, to be decided via votes from 53 national coaches in Africa, will be announced on February 10 in Lagos, Nigeria.