Sadio Mane Named African Player Of The Year

Sadio Mane has won Africa Men’s Player of the Year 2019 at the annual Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards held on Tuesday, 7 January 2020 in Hurghada, Egypt.

The 27-year-old beat Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah to become the third Senegalese international to win the award, following El Hadji Diouf in 2002.

“Football is my job, I love it. I am really happy and proud to win this award,” Mané said.

“I would like to thank all the Senegalese people, they push always me. I must also thank my [Senegal] coach, Aliou Cisséand Liverpool, all my team-mates there.”

Nigeria’s Asista Oshoala was named African Women’s Player of the Year for the fourth time, equalling the record of her compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.

Oshoala was crowned ahead of Cameroonian forward Ajara Nchout and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana.

The Best Men’s Player based in Africa went to former Esperance playmaker Youcef Belaïli who lifted the CAF Champions League and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title with Algeria.

The Youth Player of the Year award went to Moroccan Achraf Hakimi whilst Djamel Belmadi and Desiree Ellis picked the Coach of the Year, male and female respectively.

The 2019 CAF award winners in full:

Men’s Player of the Year:

Sadio Mane (Senegal and Liverpool)

Women’s Player of the Year:

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

African Interclubs Player of the Year:

Youcef Belaïli (Algeria and Esperance / Ahli Jeddah)

African Youth Player of the Year:

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Borussia Dortmund)

African Men’s Coach of the Year:

Djamel Belmadi (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

CAF Special Award:

Kodjovi Obilale (Togo