Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been named the African Player of the Year for 2019 at the CAF Awards. The Senegalese star was up against team mate Mohamed Salah and Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez.
It's official! 🥇
The African Player of the Year for 2⃣0⃣1⃣9⃣ is #SadioMane
What an achievement for the Senegalese winger! 🇸🇳 #CAFAwards2019 pic.twitter.com/BwFBBxFBR1
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2020
Fellow Red men Salah and Naby Keita were also up for the honour, but it should come as no surprise that Mane has walked away with the highest honour – he was brilliant for club and country over the last 12 months, and his start to the 2019/20 season has been second to none.
That being said, there were a lot of deserved winners that were nominated for the award, like Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and even Wilfred Ndidi.
Joel Matip was also included in the FIFPro Africa XI, with fellow Reds Mane and Salah.
🇨🇲 @AndreyOnana
🇨🇮 @Serge_aurier
🇨🇲 Joel Matip
🇸🇳 @kkoulibaly26
🇲🇦 @AchrafHakimi
🇸🇳 @IGanaGueye
🇩🇿 #RiyadMahrez
🇲🇦 Hakim Ziyech
🇪🇬 #MoSalah
🇬🇦 @Aubameyang7
🇸🇳 #SadioMane@FIFProAfrica's Best 1⃣1⃣ for 2⃣0⃣1⃣9⃣! #CAFAwards2019 pic.twitter.com/7pWbAjgelD— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2020
It’s deserved recognition for all four of Liverpool’s African players as they were all part of the team that eventually lifted Europe’s most sought after piece of silverware – the Champions League trophy.
Should Salah have won the award, it would have been his third year on the bounce being named as Africa’s best player, but Mahrez was in with a legit shout.
It’s hard to ignore his contribution to Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations success, at the detriment of Mane’s Senegal, and the silverware he picked up with Manchester City last season.
Nonetheless, it’s fantastic that Mane is now the face of African football!