Egypt was agog on Tuesday, January 7 as football icons, legends and stakeholders gathered for the 28th edition of the CAF Awards, an event to celebrate African footballers and officials who distinguished themselves during 2019.
The highpoint of the night was when
Senegalese striker and Liverpool star Sadio Mane won his first Africa’s 2019 Player of the Year honour on the night
Mane was crowned the African Player of the Year, polling 477 votes ahead of his Liverpool teammate Mohamd Salah, 325 votes and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, 267 votes.
The 27-year old beat his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah of Egypt who won the award the last two years, as well as Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City).
Sane becomes the second Senegalese to win the award after El Hadji Diouf, who was the winner in 2001 and after joining Liverpool in 2002.
Mane scored 34 goals and produced 12 assists in 61 appearances in 2019, according to CAF statistics.
Speaking about the award, he said, “I am really happy and at the same time I am really proud to win this award. It’s a big day for me.”
“I’m very happy and proud to win this award. I thank my teammates at the Senegal national team and also my club, Liverpool for their support”.
Also Asisat Oshoala, won the fourth African Women’s Player of the Year Award.
Oshoala, who plays for Spanish side Barcelona, beat Ajara Nchout of Cameroon and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana, who was crowned in Senegal last year to claim the title.
It is the fourth time the 25-year-old is being crowned the best African female footballer.
Oshoala garnered 351 votes, 30 more than Cameroonian forward Ajara Nchout and Thembi Kgatlana, who had 247 votes.
She won the award in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and was also among the final three in 2018 but lost to her South African rival Kgatlana, equalling the record of her compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha
Here is the full list:
Sadio Mane, 2019 African Player of the Year
In the youth category, Morocco and Borussia Dortmund defender, Achraf Hakimi, was crowned the African Youth Player Of The Year.
The 21-year-old beat Nigerian duo of Victor Osimhen (Lille) and Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal) to claim the prize.
The Egyptian Football Association won the Federation of the Year award.
Tanzanian afro-pop star, Diamond Platinumz thrilled the audience with a live show of his music that saw the guests dancing in their seats.
Lebanese group Mayyas, winners of the 2019 edition of Arabs Got Talent, a television reality show, enchanted the audience with their choreography skills.
Asisat Oshoala, crowned 2019 African Women’s Player of the Year.
Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o partnered Egyptian Mariam Amin as presenters of the ceremony and was assisted by Moroccan Fayrouz Al Karawani as special guests Egyptian Minister of Sport Ashraf Sobhy, FIFA and CAF Legends were treated to a wonderful evening.
African Player of the Year
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
African Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
African Interclubs Player of the Year
Youcef Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance / Ahli Jeddah)
African Youth Player of the Year
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)
African Men’s Coach of the Year
Djamel Belmadi (Algeria – 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
Federation of the Year
Egyptian Football Association
Goal of the Year
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria vs Nigeria, Total Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019 semi final)
Special Award
Kojovi Obilale (former Togolese goalkeeper)
CAF-Fifpro Best XI
Goalkeeper: Andre Onana
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Serge Aurier, Joel Matip, Kalidou Koulibaly
Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Riyad Mahrez, Hakim Ziyech
Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang