CAIRO: Cameroon and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o set a new landmark for individual success in African football Monday after being named the continent's Footballer of the Year for a record-breaking fourth time. The 2010 award came five years after his last triumph and capped a year of unprecedented club success in which he also extended his scoring record at the African Nations Cup Finals. The Cameroon captain finished ahead of Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and Asamoah Gyan of Ghana in the polling for Africa's top individual prize, awarded at the Confederation of African Football's awards gala in Cairo. Eto'o was African Footballer of the Year between 2003 and 2005 and his fourth award surpasses the three titles won by Abedi Pele in the early 1990s. Eto'o goal-scoring form helped Inter Milan to a triple of titles last season, including the UEFA Champions League where the 29-year-old was a winner for a second successive year. He scored Saturday as the Italians beat African champion TP Mazembe Englebert in the Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi. Eto'o scored twice at the Nations Cup in Angola in January to stretch his tournament record tally of goals to 18. He also netted at the World Cup Finals but later described Cameroon's poor performance in South Africa as the biggest disappointment of his career. Berbatov Bulgaria's best Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has been voted Bulgarian Footballer of 2010 for a record seventh time, the Bulgarian Football Union announced Monday. Berbatov, 29, who last month scored an amazing five goals in Manchester United's 7-1 win over Premier League rivals Blackburn Rovers, also won in the title in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Bulgarian Litex Lovech captain Ivelin Popov came second followed by Bulgarian national team and Dutch Twente goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov. Benitez denies sacking reports Rafa Benitez dismissed speculation he's about to be fired from Inter Milan, saying Monday that he still has a “good relationship” with club President Massimo Moratti and is focused on improving the team after the winter break. After Italian media reported that Moratti has decided to sack the Spaniard despite Inter winning the Club World Cup Saturday, Benitez told Spanish radio station Onda Cero that “no, I have not been fired.” “I am surprised because I have seen a lot of headlines of newspapers and I have been phoned by a lot of people asking me if I have been fired, and that is not true at all,” Benitez said from Liverpool, where he has gone on vacation. “These are rumors that have been around for some time, but the only thing that I can say is that I am on holiday, and I want to rest so I can come back soon.” On Monday, leading sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport ran the front-page headline “Benitez is Out.” Moratti declined comment Monday. “Stay relaxed. I'm not going to speak today”
