Mane was crowned the African Player of the Year, polling 477 votes ahead of his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, 325 votes and Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, 267 votes.
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Mane crowned Africa's best footballer 2019.
Senegal and
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been crowned 2019 Africa Player of the Year.
Mane beat
his Liverpool teammate and Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah and Algeria and Manchester
City’s Riyad Mehrez to the crown after his fourth attempt.
“This is a
very special day for me because it has always been my target to be Africa’s best
footballer and win this Award,” said Mane who led Senegal to second place in
the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) where they lost to Algeria.
Mane was crowned the African Player of the
Year, polling 477 votes ahead of his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, 325 votes
and Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, 267 votes.
Mane and
Asisat Oshoala were crowned as African Player of the Year and African Women’s
Player of the Year at the CAF Awards 2019 held at the Albatros Citadel Sahl
Hasheesh Resort in Hurghada, Egypt on Tuesday night.
FIFA
President Gianni Infantino and President of the Confederation of African
Football (CAF), Ahmad Ahmad also graced the colourful ceremony.
“I'm very
happy and proud to win this award. I thank my teammates at the Senegal national
team and also my club, Liverpool for their support,” added Mane after receiving
the Award from CAF President Ahmad Ahmad.
Youcef
Belaili won the prize of Inter Club’s Best Player of the Year for helping
Esperance win the CAF Champions League.
The Youth
Player of the Year award went to Moroccan Achraf Hakimi whilst Djamel Belmadi
and Desiree Ellis picked the Coach of the Year male and female respectively.
Tanzanian
afro-pop star, Diamond Platinumz thrilled the audience with a live show of his
music that saw the guests dancing in their seats.
Uganda FA President Moses Hassim Magogo who was expected to attend the ceremony did not show-up, while former Uganda women's international Jean Sseninde attended as a CAF guest.
Former
African and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o partnered Egyptian Mariam Amin as
presenters of the ceremony and was assisted by Moroccan Fayrouz Al Karawani.
Award
Winners
African
Player of the Year
- Sadio Mane
(Senegal & Liverpool)
African
Women’s Player of the Year
- Asisat
Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
African Interclubs
Player of the Year
- Youcef
Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance / Ahli Jeddah)
African
Youth Player of the Year
- Achraf
Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)
African
Men’s Coach of the Year
- Djamel
Belmadi (Algeria - Algeria)
African
Women’s Coach of the Year
-Desiree
Ellis (South Africa)
African
Men’s National Team of the Year
- Algeria
African
Women’s National Team of the Year
- Cameroon
Federation
of the Year
- Egyptian
Football Association
Special
Award
- Kojovi
Obilale (former Togolese goalkeeper)
