Who will be named CAF African Player of the Year?

2019 CAF AWARDS

Date: Today (Tuesday)

Time: 9pm

Venue: Albatros Citadel Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada (Egypt)

 

African Football of the Year

Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)

Riyad Mehrez (Algeria/Manchester City)

Sadio Mané (Senegal/ Liverpool)

African Women's Player of the Year

Ajara Nchout (Cameroon/Vålerenga)

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria/FC Barcelona)

Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa/Beijing BG Phoenix)

African Women's Coach of the Year

Alain Djeumfa (Cameroon)

Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria)

African Youth Player of the Year

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Borussia Dortmund)

Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria/Villarreal)

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Lille OSC)

Africa's Men's Coach of the Year

Aliou Cissé (Senegal National Team)

Djamel Belmadi (Algeria National Team) - Moïne Chaâbani  (Espérance Sportive de Tunis)

African Inter clubs Player of the Year

Tarek Hamed (Egypt/Zamalek)

Youcef Belaili (Algeria/Espérance Sportive de Tunis/Al Ahli KSA)

Anice Badri (Tunisia/Espérance Sportive de Tunis)

African Women's National Team of the Year

South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon

African Men's National Team of the Year

Algeria, Senegal, Madagascar

 

Liverpool sharpshooter Sadio Mane is expected to become the first African football headline-maker of 2020 by winning the Player of the Year award tonight.

The high-profile ceremony will set in motion a year sure to be full of drama on and off the field with 2022 World Cup and 2021 Cup of Nations qualifiers in the mix.

Consistent Liverpool scorer and Senegal talisman Mane is favoured to become the second star from his country after El Hadji Diouf to be named Player of the Year.

 

Mane was Senegal's main man at the 2019 AFCON where he netted three goals on the Teranga Lions' path to the final where they lost by a solitary goal to Algeria.

For his club Liverpool, Mane was just as sensational as he was for Senegal as he played another crucial role aiding them to the UEFA Champions League title for the first time since 2005.

His rivals are Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian who won the last two editions, and Algerian Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City.

 

Salah will hope to enter into an illustrious group, looking to become only the third player to win the award more than twice. Only Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Toure have won more than two CAF Player of the Year Awards, each clinching it four times.

Just like his teammate Sadio Mane, Salah enjoyed a great season and was instrumental as Liverpool rode onto a sixth UEFA Champions League title, netting five goals and laying up two assists in a total of 12 matches.

The Player of the Year, and the winners of seven other male and female categories, will be announced at a ceremony in Egyptian Red Sea resort Hurghada.

 

A couple of weeks after the awards banquet, Egypt will host another eagerly anticipated event, the draw in Cairo for the group stage of World Cup qualifying.

The latest FIFA rankings are expected to determine the seedings, meaning Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali and DR Congo will be in pot one.

All those nations except Mali have played at the World Cup, and an Ivory Coast team that can call on the dazzling footwork of Wilfried Zaha could be the most dangerous second seeds.

Cup of Nations

 

Full list of Past African Footballer of the Year award winners:

1970: Salif Keita (St Etienne, France and Mali)

1971: Ibrahim Sunday (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1972: Cherif Souleymane (Hafia and Guinea)

1973: Tshimen Bwanga (TP Mazembe Englebert and Zaire)

1974: Paul Moukila (CARA Brazzaville and Congo)

1975: Ahmed Faras (Mohammedia and Morocco)

1976: Roger Milla (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1977: Tarak Dhiab (Esperance and Tunisia)

1978: Karim Abdoul Razak (Asante Kotoko and Ghana)

1979: Thomas Nkono (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1980: Jean Manga Onguene (Canon Yaounde and Cameroon)

1981: Lakhdar Belloumi (GCR Mascara and Algeria)

1982: Thomas Nkono (Espanyol, Spain and Cameroon)

1983: Mahmoud Al Khatib (Al Ahli and Egypt)

1984: Theophile Abega (Toulouse, France and Cameroon)

1985: Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces and Morocco)

1986: Badou Ezaki (Real Mallorca, Spain and Morocco)

1987: Rabah Madjer (FC Porto, Portugal and Algeria)

1988: Kalusha Bwalya (Cercle Bruges, Belgium and Zambia)

1989: George Weah (Monaco, France and Liberia)

1990: Roger Milla (St Denis, Reunion and Cameroon)

1991: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1992: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Marseille, France and Ghana)

1993: Abedi Pele Ayew (Olympique Lyonnaise, France and Ghana)

1994: George Weah (Paris St Germain, France and Liberia) and Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal and Nigeria)

1995: George Weah (AC Milan, Italy and Liberia)

1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italy and Nigeria)

1997: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France and Nigeria)

1998: Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Spain and Morocco)

1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England and Nigeria)

2000: Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy and Cameroon)

2001: El Hadji Diouf (Rennes, France and Senegal)

2002: El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool, England and Senegal)

2003: Samuel Eto'o (Real Mallorca, Spain and Cameroon)

2004: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2005: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla, Spain and Mali)

2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal, England and Togo)

2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea, England and Ivory Coast)

2010: Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan, Italy and Cameroon)

2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City, England and Ivory Coast)

2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund, Germany and Gabon)

2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City, England and Algeria)

2017: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England and Egypt)

2018: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England and Egypt)