CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Sadio Mane heads a list of 10 nominees for the African Footballer of the Year award, to be handed out later this month for the first time in three years, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) introduced on Monday.
Mane, who received the final award in 2019, will likely be favoured to win once more after a season wherein he helped Senegal to their first Africa Cup of Nations title plus qualification to the World Cup in Qatar.
He additionally had cup success with Liverpool at membership stage however has since moved to Bayern Munich.
His former workforce mates Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah are additionally amongst the 10 nominees, together with Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez.
Salah received the award in 2017 and 2018 and Mahrez in 2016.
The COVID-19 pandemic and choice to change the qualification interval from the calendar yr to the 2021-22 season is the purpose why there was no award for the final three years, CAF officers advised Reuters.
The winner will likely be determined by a judging panel made up of members of CAF’s technical committee, press and coaches and captains of Africa’s 54 nationwide groups and will likely be introduced at a gala in Rabat, Morocco on July 21.
Nominees:
Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast), Naby Keita (Guinea), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy (each Senegal), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon).
(Writing by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
