Salah, Mane to battle Man City’s Mahrez for African footballer of the year

Liverpool duo of Muhammad Salah and Sadio Mane will battle with Manchester City’s Riyadh Mahrez for the African footballer of the year awards after the final list was released by continental football governing body CAF.

The finals list saw seven footballers including Arsenal captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal and Napoli), Andre Onana (Cameroon and Ajax) and Odion Ighalo (Nigeria and Shanghai Shenhua) among other dropped to retain the trio.

The winners will be announced on January 7 at the Albatros Citadel Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada in Egypt.

Men’s Player of the Year:

• Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
• Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)
• Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

Women’s Player of the Year:

• Ajara Nchout (Cameroon & Valerenga)
• Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
• Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Beijing Phoenix FC)

African Interclubs Player of the Year:

• Anice Badri (Tunisia & Esperance)
• Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)
• Youcef Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance / Ahli Jeddah)

African Youth Player of the Year:

• Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)
• Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria & Villarreal)
• Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Lille)

African Men’s Coach of the Year:

• Aliou Cisse (Senegal – Senegal)
• Djamel Belmadi (Algeria – Algeria)
• Moïne Chaâbani (Tunisia – Esperance)

African Women’s Coach of the Year:

• Alain Djeumfa (Cameroon)
• Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
• Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria)

African Men’s National Team of the Year:

• Algeria
• Madagascar
• Senegal

African Women’s National Team of the Year:

• Cameroon
• Nigeria
• South Africa