Mane named African player of the year at Caf Awards

Liverpool striker Sadio Mane was named the Confederation of African Football’s player of the year at the annual Caf awards last night.

The ceremony, held in the coastal resort of Hurghada, Egypt, was a star-studded event showcasing the best and brightest of African football.

It was a great night for the Premier League, with Mane taking the prize ahead of the other two nominees: Egyptian striker and club teammate, Mohamad Salah, and Manchester City and Algeria winger, Riyad Mahrez.

The 2018-19 season was a hugely successful one for the Senegalese, scoring 30 goals in all competitions and helping the Reds to their sixth Champions League trophy.

With over halfway gone already, this season looks set to bring yet more success, having already bagged 15 goals, Mane’s helped Liverpool to an enviable 13-point cushion at the top of the Premier League, something they haven’t won in 30 years.

Upon receiving the award, Mane said “I’m really happy and proud to win this.  Football is my job, I love it.

“I would like to thank my family, my national team, staff, the federation and Liverpool Football Club.  It’s a big day for me”.

Though Mahrez and Salah, the latter of whom has won the award for the previous two years, made the three-man shortlist, neither were present on the night, though Mahrez did win the African goal of the year for a free-kick he scored against Nigeria during the Afcon semi-final.

Mahrez has since tweeted his congratulations, writing “Congratulations to Sadio for his trophy well deserved sorry I couldn't come but I had to start scoring for the 2020 trophy see you next year inch’Allah”.

Despite making the three-player shortlist for the past three years, Mane has reportedly coveted this trophy for some time in order to emulate one of the successes of his footballing icon, fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf, who won it in 2002.

The Premier League was also well-represented in the best African XI of the year.  Alongside Mane, Salah and Mahrez, Liverpool’s Joel Matip, Tottenham’s Serge Aurier and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were included in the list.

Photo credit: AFP