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By Amaechi Agbo

By Amaechi Agbo

Holder and Senegalese superstar, Sadio Mane, will battle national team teammate, Edouard Mendy and former Liverpool playing mate, Mohammed Salah for the coveted Africa Footballer of the Year Award, bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The trio were named by CAF in the three-man final list released on Wednesday.

CAF revealed the top three (3) for all the women and men categories ahead of the much-awaited Awards Gala on Thursday, 21 July 2022, in Rabat, Morocco.

The Awards will be held in Rabat, Morocco on 21 July 2022 at 20h00 local time. (19h00 GMT).

The top three list is from the list of nominees previously revealed by CAF in both men and women categories.

In the men’s category, former winners’ Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane of Egypt and Senegal will have to battle it out with Senegal shot stopper Edouard Mendy, also a new comer in the three-men list.

The three players had a good season for their clubs (Liverpool and Chelsea) for the football calendar under review.

While at club level, Mane and Salah helped Liverpool to reach the 2022 UEFA Champions League final which they lost against Real Madrid as well as losing the 2022 English Premier League to rivals, Manchester City.

Both however, guided the Reds to two cups – Carabao and FA – triumphs.

While Mendy at the other end, was superb in-between the sticks for Chelsea as they lost Carabao and FA Cup finals including ending the EPL season 3rd on the log.

At international level, Mane and Mendy played significant roles as they helped Senegal win their first continental football silverware, the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in Cameroon against Egypt. They also combined to give Senegal their 2022 World Cup ticket at the expense of, once again, Egypt in the playoff in March

In the Player of the Year category for women; four-time winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria is in the hunt for a fifth crown. However, she faces stiff opposition from Cameroonian Ajara Nchout Njoya and new entrant Grace Chanda of Zambia for the Women’s category.

Full list of top 3 nominees (in alphabetical order);

Player of the Year (Women)

Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Internazionale Milano)

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)

Player of the Year (Men)

Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Bayern Munich)

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

Andile Dlamini (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Bambanani Mbanie (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

Achraf Dari (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)

Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Young Player of the Year (Women)

Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne)

Young Player of the Year (Men)
Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne)

Young Player of the Year (Men)

Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)

Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire & ASEC/RB Salzburg)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham Hotspur)

Coach of the Year (Women)

Bruce Mwape (Zambia)

Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Reynald Pedros (Morocco)

Coach of the Year (Men)

Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

Carlos Queiroz (Egypt)

Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club)

Club of the Year (Women)

AS FAR (Morocco)

Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Club of the Year (Men)

Al Ahly (Egypt)

RS Berkane (Morocco)

Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)

National Team of the Year (Men)

Cameroon

Egypt

Senegal

National Team of the Year (Women)

Due to the absence of a major women’s competition during the period under review, the Organising Team for the CAF Awards 2022 has reviewed the selection process for this important category. The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco will be factored as one of the criterion in deciding a winner befitting of the status of the award and women’s football in general. The winner will be announced on 23 July 2022 during the final match of the Women’s AFCON.

Goal of the Year

Gabadinho Mhango (Malawi & Orlando Pirates)

Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)

Zouhair El Moutaraji (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

The last edition of CAF Awards Was held in January 2020, where winners for 2019 football Calendar were honoured. However, due to COVID-19 outbreak in that year, the CAF Awards was suspended for two years.