Liverpool’s striker Sadio Mane has been named the Confederation of African (CAF) Player of the Year for 2019, with teammate Mohamed Salah finishing in the top three. Mane and Salah were both named in the final three for the award, with Man City‘s Riyad Mahrez lining up alongside the Reds duo.
Liverpool’s talisman clinched the award, which took place in Egypt, for the first time having finished second in the last two years while coming third in 2016. It is just rewards for Mane as his exponential rise continues, having proven key to Liverpool’s Champions League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and recent Premier League success.
His 2019 also saw him named as the Premier League‘s joint-highest goalscorer alongside Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with 22, where his calendar year totalled 31 goals across all competitions for the Reds.
Moreover, Mane helped lead his native Senegal to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations over the summer, where his side fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Algeria. Salah, meanwhile, has relinquished his hold on the title having been named Africa’s best footballer for two years running despite matching Mane’s title haul and netting an impressive 25 goals for Liverpool throughout the year.
For Mane, the award is another nod to his incredible performance and consistency levels for club and country and he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Having finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or, being named the best player in Africa caps off what was a stunning year for Mane – and at his current pace, 2020 could yet be just as memorable and rewarding.
Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala emerged Africa’s best woman player after she pocketed Women’s price. NAN
