Super Eagles
Egyptian Mohamed Salah on Tuesday won the CAF Men Player of the Year award for the second time in a row, ahead of Senegalese Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon; but no Nigerian player made the list of CAF first eleven, raising criticisms over the selection.
The Liverpool forward received the title at the 2018 CAF Awards held in Dakar, Senegal.
South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana denied Nigeria’s Francisca Ordega and compatriot Asisat Oshoala the silverware in the women’s category.
Kgatlana’s performance had earned her the highest goal scorer and the woman of the tournament awards at the Women’s African Cup of Nations in Ghana in December.
It helped to halt Oshoala’s move towards a fourth title.
After seeing Banyana Banyana to a first ever FIFA World Cup ticket, Desiree Ellis earned the Women’s Coach of the Year award.
Hervé Renard, the head coach of Morocco, emerged the men’s coach.
A ninth Women AFCON trophy sees Nigeria as the Women Team of the Year while Mauritania is the Men’s Team winner after a maiden qualification to the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Salah, Mane and Aubameyang made it to CAF first eleven. No Nigerian player was on the roll call of Africa first eleven.
They were joined by Naby Keita of Guniea, Riyad Mahrez of Algeria, Eric Bailly of Cote d’Ivoire and teammate Serge Aurier.
Others are Medhi Benatia of Morrocco, Thomas Partey of Ghana and Denis Onyango of Uganda, Kalidou Koulibaly of Senegal.
Below is a list of all the awards:
Player of the Year
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Women’s Player of the Year
Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Houston Dash)
Youth Player of the Year
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmunmd)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Herve Renard (Morocco)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Men’s National Team of the Year
Mauritania
Women’s National Team of the Year
Nigeria
Platinum Award
His Excellency Macky Sall (President of the Republic of Senegal)
Federation President of the Year
Fouzi Lekjaa
Goal of the Year
Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Houston Dash)
