CAF has announced that Mohamed Salah, Aubameyang and Sadio Mane are the final three to compete for the 2017 African Player of the Year Award, after having announced a 30-man shortlist earlier in the year.
Mohamed Salah, 25, scored five goals to help Egypt qualify for their first World Cup since 1990. That was before his two goals guided the Pharaohs to final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 2-1 to Egypt. He is currently the top scorer in the English Premier League with 14 goals and has netted six times in the Champions League this term.
Sadio Mane may have failed to lead Senegal to African title in January but he was an instrumental figure in Teranga Lions’ qualification to the World Cup for the first time since 2002. At club level, Mane has netted 18 goals for Liverpool this year.
Aubameyang, meanwhile, has scored 45 goals this year and is now the African with the most goals scored in the Bundesliga.
The list was trimmed down following votes by Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a panel of Media Experts.
The overall winner will be announced at Awards Gala on Thursday, 4 January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.
Nigerian energy giants, Aiteo, are the headline sponsors of next year’s edition that will see players, officials and administrators who distinguished themselves exemplary during the year under review being honoured for their efforts towards the development of the game on the continent.
African Player of the Year
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)
Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)
Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)
Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & Rossyanka)
Women’s National Team of the Year
Ghana U-20
Nigeria U-20
South Africa
Coach of the Year
Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)
Hector Cuper (Egypt)
L’Hussein Amoutta
National Team of the Year
Cameroon
Egypt
Nigeria
Club of the Year
Al Ahly
TP Mazembe
Wydad Athletic Club
Youth Player of the Year
Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)
Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)
Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)
Referee of the Year
Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)
Ghead Grisha (Egypt)
Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)
Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)
Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
