Salah, Mané and Aubameyang CAF Player of the Year award finalists

Mohammed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool), Sadio Mané (Senegal and Liverpool) and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon and Borussia Dortmund) were named on Monday as the three finalists for the 2017 African Player of the Year award. The winner of the prestigious award will be announced at the 2017 AITEO CAF awards ceremony in Accra on 4th January 2018.

Salah favorite to win

Liverpool striker Mohammed Salah, who currently leads the English Premier League scoring with 14 goals, is favorite to claim this year’s CAF Player of the Year award. Salah played a crucial role in his country’s feat of reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It will be Egypt’s first appearance at the tournament in 28 years. Recently, ‘Mo’ was named BBC African Player of the Year. He was also named November’s PFA Player of the Month.

Borussia Dortmund’s Aubameyang is second in the Bundesliga scorers chart with 13 goals, only two less than Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. Meanwhile, Mané, team-mate of Salah at Liverpool, was a vital part of the Senegalese team that reached the World Cup for the first time since 2002. Last season’s winner, Riyad Mahrez, who left Aubameyang on second and Mané on third, failed to make it to this year’s nominees. 

CAF Award shortlists

Africa Men's Player of the Year

· Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

· Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)

· Sadio Mané (Senegal & Liverpool)

Africa Women’s Player of the Year

· Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

· Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)

· Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & CSKA Moscow)

· Krepin Diatta (Senegal & Sarpsborg)

· Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)

· Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)

· Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

· Hector Cuper (Egypt)

· L'Hussein Amoutta (Wydad Athletic Club)

· Al Ahly

· TP Mazembe

· Wydad Athletic Club

· Cameroon

· Egypt

· Nigeria

· Ghana U-20

· Nigeria U-20

· South Africa