Sadio Mane will be jostling for the best player award with former teammate Mo Salah at a gala in Rabat, Morocco.
Senegal and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy makes up the three-man shortlist. The questions are many, but the main one would be who is the best player in Africa?
It has been a long year marred by several incidences, but sports managed to rumble on with its competitions. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have come to the point where they have to pick the best player on the continent this year.
Undoubtedly, there were many exciting performances and fairy tales by African players on the continent and abroad, but who stands shoulders above everyone else? Who has done the most to be the best player on the continent? CAF has shortlisted three names to compete for the best, so of Mane, Mendy and Salah. Who has impressed the most?
Mane, Mendy vs Mo Salah
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold its annual awards ceremony on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco. Of the many awards to be given out, the most talked about is the men’s awards. It is a hotly debated issue. Who has been the most outstanding player this year?
CAF has cut down the list to three contestants in the different categories in the 2022 awards. The award for the men’s player of the year has generated plenty of interest, with two Senegalese players in the pot against Mo Salah.
Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Edouard Mendy (Senegal) will be vying for the award against Mo Salah (Egypt). Mane, who recently joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool, will seek to become the African player of the year ahead of former teammate Mo Salah. Mane also sees his national team comrade Edouard Mendy of Chelsea jostling with him for the award.
Mane won the English FA Cup and League Cup with teammate Mo Salah. On the international scene, he led Senegal to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with Edouard Mendy playing a vital role. Mendy saved a penalty in the final as Senegal beat Egypt.
Other award categories
It is not all about the men. The women are also part of the party, and four-time winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria will hope she is crowned the best for the fifth time. It will not be a walk in the park for the Barcelona star. She has tight competition from Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon) and Grace Chanda of Zambia.
Asisat Oshoala missed the ongoing Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) to injury but had a stellar season with his club Barcelona. Winning the award is not new to her, and she hopes her performances at the club level were enough to see her win again.
Other awards to be handed out at the gala are:
Interclub Player of the Year (Women)
- Andile Dlamini (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Bambanani Mbanie (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men)
- Achraf Dari (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)
- Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)
Young Player of the Year (Women)
- Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies
- Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
- Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne).
Young Player of the Year (Men)
- Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)
- Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire & ASEC/RB Salzburg)
- Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham Hotspur).
Coach of the Year (Women)
- Bruce Mwape (Zambia), Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
- Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Reynald Pedros (Morocco).
Coach of the Year (Men)
- Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
- Carlos Queiroz (Egypt), Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club).
Club of the Year (Women)
- AS FAR (Morocco)
- Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).
Club of the Year (Men)
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- RS Berkane (Morocco)
- Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco).
National Team of the Year (Men)
- Cameroon
- Egypt
- Senegal.
The goal of the Year
- Gabadinho Mhango (Malawi & Orlando Pirates)
- Peter Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)
- El Moutaraji (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
