LIVERPOOL'S SADIO MANE HAS BEEN NAMED THE CONFEDERATION OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL'S (CAF) PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2019.
The Senegal forward beat Liverpool team-mate, Egypt forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez to the award.
Mane, helped Liverpool to the 2018-19 Champions League title, scoring 30 goals in all competitions last season. The Senegal forward also led his country to the final of the Africa Cup of nations, in which they narrowly lost 1-0 to Algeria. Mane has scored 15 goals so far in the 2019-20 season, with Liverpool 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
He has finished amongst the awards for the last three years, without getting the top award, and has long targeted the prize to emulate the achievement of one his heroes, former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf, who won the accolade in 2002.
Nigeria and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala was named the African Women's Player of the Year ahead of Valerenga and Cameroon forward Ajara Nchout and Beijing BG Phoenix and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana.
As today marks a decade since the Togo team bus was attacked in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, leaving two members of their travelling party dead, a survivor of the shooting, Kodjovi Obilale, has been given a Special Award at the ceremony. Even though it happened a decade ago, the memory of the horrific event, is still fresh in the mind of the former Togo goalkeeper. Obilale was shot at the back and now uses crutches to walk.
CAF is the administrative and controlling body for African association football. The body represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions.
BY: Momodou Gajaga
The Senegal forward beat Liverpool team-mate, Egypt forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez to the award.
Mane, helped Liverpool to the 2018-19 Champions League title, scoring 30 goals in all competitions last season. The Senegal forward also led his country to the final of the Africa Cup of nations, in which they narrowly lost 1-0 to Algeria. Mane has scored 15 goals so far in the 2019-20 season, with Liverpool 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League.
He has finished amongst the awards for the last three years, without getting the top award, and has long targeted the prize to emulate the achievement of one his heroes, former Senegal international El Hadji Diouf, who won the accolade in 2002.
Nigeria and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala was named the African Women's Player of the Year ahead of Valerenga and Cameroon forward Ajara Nchout and Beijing BG Phoenix and South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana.
As today marks a decade since the Togo team bus was attacked in the Angolan enclave of Cabinda, leaving two members of their travelling party dead, a survivor of the shooting, Kodjovi Obilale, has been given a Special Award at the ceremony. Even though it happened a decade ago, the memory of the horrific event, is still fresh in the mind of the former Togo goalkeeper. Obilale was shot at the back and now uses crutches to walk.
CAF is the administrative and controlling body for African association football. The body represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions.
BY: Momodou Gajaga