Senegal forward Sadio Mane has been named the 2019 African Men’s Player of the Year.
The Liverpool man saw off competition from the likes of club team-mate Mohamed Salah and Manchester City and Algerian star Riyad Mahrez.
Mane won the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup as well as just missing out on the Premier League title by a single point.
The Senegal attacker also guided his nation to the final of the 2019 AFCON where they lost to Algeria.
While accepting the award Mane said ‘Football is my job, I love it. I am really happy and proud to win this award. I would like to thank all the Senegalese people, they push always me. I must also thank my (Senegal) coach, Aliou Cisse and Liverpool, all my team mates there.’
Fellow nominees, Mohamed Salah and Riyad Mahrez were absent from the awards due to club commitments.
Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala won the African Women’s Player of the Year for the fourth time.
Oshoala beats South African Thembi Kgatlana and Cameroon’s Ajara Nchout Njoya to win the award.
Award Winners
African Player of the Year
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
African Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
African Interclubs Player of the Year
Youcef Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance / Ahli Jeddah)
African Youth Player of the Year
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)
African Men’s Coach of the Year
Djamel Belmadi (Algeria – Algeria)
African Women’s Coach of the Year
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
African Men’s National Team of the Year
Algeria
African Women’s National Team of the Year
Cameroon
Federation of the Year
Egyptian Football Association
Special Award
Kojovi Obilale (former Togolese goalkeeper)
CAF-Fifpro Best XI
Goalkeeper: Andre Onana
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Serge Aurier, Joel Matip, Kalidou Koulibaly
Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Riyad Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech
Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang