Sadio Mane Named African Footballer of the Year

Sadio Mane has been named African Footballer of the Year for the first time in his history.

Mane beat fellow nominees, his Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, at the Confederation of African Football’s awards ceremony in Hurghada, Egypt on Tuesday.

The ceremony took place in the presence of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, CAF President Ahmad Ahmad and a number of African and international football legends.

The Senegal winger edged the two nominees after a vote decided by head coaches, technical directors and captains of senior national teams from CAF member associations.

Mane has scored 11 goals and racked up six assists in the Premier League this season to guide Liverpool to top spot.

[caption id="attachment_101746" align="aligncenter" width="878"] The Senegalese Wins the Award for the 1st time[/caption]

Senegal's captain guided his national team to reach the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final, before suffering a 0-1 defeat from Algeria.

He also claimed the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and recently the Fifa Club World Cup trophies with Liverpool. Noteworthy, Salah and Mahrez did not attend the ceremony.

On the other hand, Nigeria's player Asisat Oshoala won African Women’s Player of the Year Award.

The Other Awards are as follows: 

Algeria's left-winger Youcef Belaïli edged Egypt's midfielder Tarek Hamed and the Tunisian Anice Badri to scoop the African Interclubs Player of the Year award.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1214626489209106434

Achraf Hakimi defeat Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen to win the 2019 African Youth Player of the Year award.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1214627117855625216

Algeria's national team, who won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title, was named African Men’s National Team of the Year, while Cameroon was selected as the African Women’s National Team of the Year.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1214629203066441733

Cameroon was selected as the African Women’s National Team of the Year.

https://twitter.com/caf_online_AR/status/1214629059063435266

Riyad Mahrez's strike against Nigeria, which sent Algeria to the 2019 AFCON final, was named the 2019 Goal of the Year.

[caption id="attachment_101776" align="aligncenter" width="878"] Riyad Mahrez wins Goal of the Year Award[/caption]

Algeria's head coach Djamel Belmadi was named African Men’s Coach of the Year.

[caption id="attachment_101745" align="aligncenter" width="878"] Djamel Belmadi was named African Men’s Coach of the Year[/caption]

The Egyptian Football Association EFA won Federation of the Year Award.