Algeria and Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez has been voted the 2016 BBC African Footballer of the Year piping Yaya Toure, Andre Ayew, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the coveted award.
The gong seals the 25-year-old’s fantastic year which has seen him clinch the players’ player of the year accolade in the Premier League for guiding Leicester to maiden league crown – a first for an African player.
He scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists as the Foxes romped to unprecedented premier league glory in the past season, and has thus far scored four in five matches in the Champions League.
Mahrez thanked fans who voted for him, “It means a lot; it’s something big for African players so I am so happy, I am very proud.
“It’s always good to receive awards and for African players it’s a huge honour. To all the fans, thank you very much.”
He is expected to be among top stars to light up next month’s Nations Cup in Gabon, having helped Algeria’s “Desert Foxes” qualify for the continental showpiece by scoring twice and assisting five goals during the campaign.
