CAF names final three for 2017 African best player

Accra, Dec. 18, - The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) have named the final three players for the 2017 African Player of the Year award in Accra next month.

The three which includes 2015 winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon and Dortmund), Sadio Mane (Senegal and Liverpool) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool) were part of an initial 30-man shortlist which was trimmed down to 11 before the final three.

Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the 54 affiliated National Associations to CAF together with Associate Members,( Reunion Island and Zanzibar), as well as 10-member media Panel of Experts will vote to select the eventual Award winners.

After winning the BBC African Footballer of the Year recently, Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah would be stand out as favourite to clinch the coveted gong.

The winner of the award will be named at the AITEO CAF awards 2017 ceremony to be held in Accra on 4th January 2018.

Nigerian energy giants, Aiteo, are the headline sponsors of next year’s edition that will see players, officials and administrators who distinguished themselves during the year under review being honoured for their efforts towards the development of the game on the continent.

Other Awards categories are listed below:

African Player of the Year

Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)

Women’s Player of the Year

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)

Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene (Cameroon & Rossyanka)

Women’s National Team of the Year

Ghana U-20

Nigeria U-20

South Africa

Coach of the Year

Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

Hector Cuper (Egypt)

L’Hussein Amoutta

National Team of the Year

Cameroon

Egypt

Nigeria

Club of the Year

Al Ahly

TP Mazembe

Wydad Athletic Club

Youth Player of the Year

Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)

Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)

Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)

Referee of the Year

Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)

Ghead Grisha (Egypt)

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)

Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)

GNA