CAIRO, Jan 14: Former Cameroon star Roger Milla has been voted the best African footballer of the last 50 years.The striker who took the 1990 World Cup in Italy by storm collected 2,246 votes in a public poll by the Cairo-based Confederation of African Football as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Mahmoud al-Khatib, an Egyptian striker of the 1980s, finished second just 81 votes behind and compatriot Hossam Hassan, still playing as he approaches 40, was third with 2,011 votes.

Milla abandoned semi-retirement on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion to play a pivotal role as Cameoron beat defending champions Argentina, Romania and Colombia before bowing out to England after extra time in the 1990 quarter-finals.

The Cameroonian danced around the corner flag after each of his four goals and the celebration is copied by millions of players around the world to this day.

Milla returned to the World Cup four years later, scored the consolation goal in a 6-1 drubbing by Russia in the United States, and created history at 42 by becoming the oldest footballer to play in the finals.—AFP