Egyptian Liverpool talisman Mohammed Salah failed to make the final list of five players for the African Player of The Year nomination released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Mo Salah registered 28 direct goal involvements in 32 Premier League appearances last season, scored one and provided one in two African Cup of Nations games.
It’s the second time in the same year Salah has missed the opportunity to make the final list of the Player of the Year as he was also snubbed for the Ballon d’Or 2024 last month.
CAF final list has Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final to crown Atalanta
Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra of Brighton was key to Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations victory.
Guinea’s Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy was unsurprisingly cut after scoring 30 goals in 30 games for Stuttgart last season.
Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the Moroccan national team and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns) are all cut.
However, the shortlist has raised eyebrows Ghana’s Mohamed Kudus and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen alongside Mohammed Salah have all been subbed.
The CAF Awards is to celebrate and honour the achievements of African footballers who have excelled in various competitions, including domestic leagues, continental tournaments, and international events like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the World Cup.
In addition to the Player of the Year award, CAF has announced a range of other categories, including Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Club of the Year, and National Team of the Year. Each of these categories has been meticulously narrowed down to the top five candidates, teams, and coaches.
The winners across all award categories will be recognized at a grand ceremony scheduled for December 16 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
SEE FULL LIST
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton & Hove Albion)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Andre Onana (Cameroon / Manchester United)
Yahia Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire / Angers SCO)
Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)
Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria / Chippa United)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Issoufou Dayo (Burkina Faso / RS Berkane)
Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ (Egypt / Zamalek)
Hussein El Shahat (Egypt / Al Ahly)
Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire / Salzburg)
Oumar Diakite (Cote d’Ivoire / Reims)
Yankuba Minteh (Gambia / Brighton & Hove Albion)
Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco / AS Monaco)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Pedro Goncalves (Angola)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
Sebastien Desabre (DR Congo)
Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)
Hugo Broos (South Africa)
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Zamalek (Egypt)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Côte d’Ivoire
DR Congo
Nigeria
South Africa
Sudan
Story: Bright Jnr – Ahotor Sports Desk
