Caf has trimmed the list for African Footballer of the year awards and now only 10 players will contest for the coveted African award.
Andre Onana of Cameroon and Ajax and his Moroccan club teammate Hakim Ziyech, Ismail Bennacer of Algeria and AC Milan,Senegal and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Egyptian and Liverpool ‘s star Mohamed Salah have all made the cut.
Salah’s club teammate Sadio Mane, Odion Ighalo of Nigeria and Shanghai Shenhua, Arsenal’s captain and Gabon star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang together with Afcon-winning Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez as well as Youcef Belaili are the other contents for the Player of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Meddie Kagere and his former Simba SC striking partner Emmanuel Okwi have also been dropped from the newly-introduced inter-clubs Player of the Year list.
Full list of contestants:
Player of the Year: André Onana (Cameroon & Ajax), Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax), Ismail Bennacer (Algeria & AC Milan), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool), Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Shanghai Shenhua), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City ), Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool), Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Ahli Jeddah).
Women’s Player of the Year: Ajara Nchout (Cameroon & Valerenga): Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona ), Gabrielle Onguene (Cameroon & CSKA Moscow ), Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Jiangsu Suning), Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Beijing Phoenix FC).
Interclubs Player of the Year: Anice Badri (Tunisia & Esperance), Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Togo & RS Berkane / Al Ain), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance), Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek ), Youcef Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance/Ahli Jeddah).
Youth Player of the Year: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borrusia Dortmund ), Krépin Diatta (Senegal & Club Brugge), Moussa Djenepo (Mali & Southampton ), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria & Villarreal ), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Lille ).
Men’s Coach of the Year: Aliou Cisse (Senegal – Senegal), Christian Gross (Switzerland – Zamalek), Djamel Belmadi (Algeria – Algeria), Moïne Chaâbani (Tunisia – Esperance), Nicolas Dupuis (France- Madagascar).
Women’s Coach of the Year: Alain Djeumfa (Cameroon), Bruce Mwape (Zambia), Clementine Toure (Côte d’Ivoire), Desiree Ellis (South Africa), Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria).
Men’s National Team of the Year: Algeria, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia.Article continues below
Women’s National Team of the Year: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia.
The award winners for each category will be announced on January 7, 2020, in Hurghada, Egypt.