Top three for all categories of the CAF Awards 2017 was revealed in Accra, Ghana Monday.
Two categories namely African Player of the Year Based in Africa and Referee of Year were abolished with no reasons given.
BBC African Footballer of the Year Mo Salah of Egypt and Liverpool, his club-mate and Senegal’s striker Sadio Mane and Dortmond’s goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made the final shortlist for Player of the Year gong.
Salah, seen as the firm favorite for biggest individual award in African football and Mane, who is making the final shortlist for the second year running, both qualified their countries for the World Cup.
Besides, Salah helped the Pharaohs to silver medal in the 2017 Gabon AFCON.
He has also been in top form for Liverpool and is currently the leading top scorer in the Premier League on twenty goals.
Conspicuously missing among the three is Victor Moses who was also instrumental in Nigeria’s back to back World Cup qualification.
Moses also bagged the Premier League with Chelsea and finished second in the domestic cup.
Cameroon’s AFCON hero Vincent Aboubakar has also missed the last cut.
In the women’s category, multiple winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Dalian Quanjian tops the list.
She will fight out with Chrestina Kgatiana of South Africa and UWC Ladies and Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of Cameroon and CSKA Moscow.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles German coach Gernot Rohr, Egypt’s Hector Cooper and African Champions League winning coach L’Hussein Amoutta of Wydad Casablanca are the final nominees for the coach of the year award.
The Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, 4, January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.
African Player of the Year
· Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
· Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)
· Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Women’s Player of the Year
· Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)
· Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)
· Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & CSKA Moscow)
Youth Player of the Year
· Krepin Diatta (Senegal & Sarpsborg)
· Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)
· Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)
Coach of the Year
· Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)
· Hector Cuper (Egypt)
· L’Hussein Amoutta (Wydad Athletic Club)
Club of the Year
· Al Ahly
· TP Mazembe
· Wydad Athletic Club
National Team of the Year
· Cameroon
· Egypt
· Nigeria
Women’s National Team of the Year
· Ghana U-20
· Nigeria U-20
· South Africa
