Ebony Shoe
The Ebony Shoe award is a football award in Belgium given annually to the best African or African origin player in the Belgian Pro League. The jury is composed of the coaches of league clubs, the football team|Belgium national team] manager, sport journalists, and one or more honorary jurors.
As of 2020, Mbark Boussoufa, Daniel Amokachi, Vincent Kompany and Dieumerci Mbokani are the only players to have won the trophy more than once.
History
The Ebony Shoe was created in 1992 by Cerina de Rosen, Fely Samuna, Bernard [Malaba Tshienda], Eugene Bunga and Moro Mukota in association with the African Culture Promotion. The reasoning for it was because it was felt by a number of African students in Belgium that football players of African origin were being overlooked for individual awards. It was based upon the Golden Shoe award that already existed. Eligibility was determined as a player being born in Africa or being of African descent for those born outside of Africa. It also led to the inspiration of the creation of Le Lion Belge by for the best player of Magrebian origin, also using a panel of journalists and honorary jurors to determine the winner. For a number of players, it is the first individual award they have received in their careers.Selection for the award is made by a panel of club managers from Belgium's top three divisions, the Belgium national football team manager as well as journalists, judges and honorary jurors. The award is made in two parts. Three quarters of the way through a season, a vote is held to determine the five player shortlist with a second vote being held after the season has finished to decide which of the shortlisted players had won the Ebony Shoe.
In 2021, Paul Onuachu won the Ebony Shoe, becoming the first Nigerian to win it in 25 years while also winning the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year and being the top scorer in Belgium. In 2023, La Tribune discussed which winner had the most impact, with Vincent Kompany and Mbark Boussoufa being named as the two that had.