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A few days ago, The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the nominees for the African Player of the Year Award. The CAF awards celebrate African footballers and officials who have distinguished themselves during 2019, and the list of nominees is compiled by a panel of media and technical professionals. The award ceremony will be held on 7th January 2020, in Egypt.
Barring the Ballon d'Or, this award is the highest individual honour that an African footballer can get. The award is very prestigious and several of the game's greatest players have been recipients of the same before. The likes of Didier Drogba, Abidi Pele, and Geroge Weah have all won this award. Mohamed Salah is the current award-winner, and he is in contention yet again this year.
25 players from clubs across the world are nominated. Here, we take a look at the five favourites to win this award:
#5 Kalidou Koulibaly - Napoli, Senegal
One of the best centre-backs in the game right now, Kalidou Koulibaly is the best African defender in the world.
The Napoli player won the Serie A award for best defender in the 2018-19 season, and he is one of the most sought after players in the transfer market.
A man of a mountain who is a constant menace for any forward who faces him, the Senegalese international is a physical, towering presence who is great in the air and on the ball.
Last season, Koulibaly played over 4300 minutes of club football, wherein he conceded only 0.8 goals per 90 minutes in Serie A. His performances in both Serie A and Champions League have impressed the top managers across the world.
Koulibaly is still only 28, and he has a few years of his peak ahead of him. Although not the strongest contender for the award right now, he can definitely be the frontrunner in a couple of years.
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#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Arsenal FC, Gabon
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been one of the most underrated strikers in the world for quite some time now. A deadly goalscorer, the Gabon international has made a name for himself in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
Recently taking over Arsenal's captaincy from Granit Xhaka, Aubameyang's form is one of the only few good things at the Emirates right now.
The forward has been in the top 3 of the African Player of the Year list for the past five years, and he won the award in 2015. Nobody has scored more goals than the Arsenal striker since his move to the Premier League, and it is only his team's lack of success which drags him down on this list.
Even though he just crossed 30 in June, Aubameyang shows no signs of slowing down and will remain a constant threat to defenders everywhere for the foreseeable future.
#3 Hakim Ziyech - Ajax, Morocco
The Dutch-born attacking midfielder was one of the primary reasons for Ajax's success last season. A crafty and skilful player, 2019 has been Hakim Ziyech's breakout season. The midfielder was involved in over 25 goals in 49 appearances for Ajax last season, and he was one of their best players as the team reached the Champions League semi-finals.
Ziyech was prolific in both the Eredivisie and the Champions League. He was selected as one of the 20 best players in the UEFA Champions League for the 2018–19 season.
The midfielder chose to represent Morocco over the Netherlands in 2016, and he has 2 goals in 5 appearances for his national team this year.
Aged only 26, Ziyech is starting to show the world how good he is, and it might not be long before a big club comes calling. He deserves to finish in the top 3 this season.
#2 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool, Egypt
Ever since Mohamed Salah has come back to England and joined Liverpool, he has been one of the top three forwards in the world.
The Egyptian forward broke the Premier League single-season goalscoring record in 2018. He followed that world-class season with another phenomenal one last time around wherein he won the Champions League and shared the Premier League Golden Boot with two other players.
Known for his speed, dribbling, and finishing inside the box, Salah is a constant threat to any defence he faces. Having won the last two Golden Boots in England, Salah is a former PFA Player of the Year.
He is also the back-to-back winner of the CAF African Player of the Year Award and has established himself as the best African player in the world during the past three seasons.
However, the Egyptian King has had a slow start to this season, which is the reason why he is only second on this list. This is not to say that Salah has been poor, but he has not lived up to the lofty standards he has set.
Even though he is still a frontrunner, there has been one better player this year than him.
#1 Sadio Mane - Liverpool, Senegal
At the end of last season, Sadio Mane and teammate Salah were neck-to-neck in terms of performances and quality. The Senegalese international has, however, propelled himself into a different stratosphere this season.
Being Liverpool's best player by far in a season where the Reds are unbeaten and sit on top of the Premier League, Mane's game has evolved and improved exponentially.
Not only has he established himself as the best African footballer, but he has also been in talks as one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d'Or.
Winning a penalty in stoppage time against Leicester City, scoring a 95th-minute winner in a tough game against Aston Villa, the Senegalese international has been the most consistent forward for the Reds in 2019.
The 27-year-old has been involved in 10 goals in 13 PL appearances so far, alongside netting 2 goals in the Champions League.
Mane's pace, explosiveness and quick thinking is a menace for any defender facing him. He is a strong contender for the Golden Boot this season too, and his recent performances have made him a favourite to win the African Player of the Year Award this year.
