CAF’s African Player of the Year: It’s Mo Salah Again!

Egyptian International and Liverpool striker, Mohammed Salah capped a stunning year by retaining his crown as 2018 African Player of the Year

In winning his second title at a colourful ceremony in Dakar, the Senegalese capital on Tuesday night, January 8, 2019, Salah shrugged of stiff competition from Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal star performer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Interestingly, the Egyptian also dusted the same foes when he won the CAF crown for the first time last year.

The last season’s showing in English Premier League saw Salah banging in 32 goals for Liverpool to cart home the golden boot award for the first time. He however finished the season with 44 goals across all competitions and helped Jurgen Klopp’s men to the runners-up spot in the Champions League.

The ex-Chelsea and AS Roma striker is already keeping up the steam this season, having scored 13 goals in the Premiership as Liverpool maintain their stranglehold on the log.

This feat puts Salah up as the fourth African after El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, and Yaya Toure to win the prestigious award back to back.

It also thwarts Aubameyang’s quest to add to his haul. The Gabonese talisman, Aubameyang who won the player of the year award in 2015, was appearing in his fifth straight nomination for the CAF top prize.

The award caps yet another remarkable year for the 26-year-old, named the Premier League Player of the Year and ranked high in Goal 50, FIFA Best Awards and Ballon d’Or.

Last year, he also brushed off a shoulder injury to feature in the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he scored two goals in two games.

Since hitting the limelight in the English Premiership, Salah has been impressive for Liverpool, helping them reach the final of the 2017/18 Champions League where they lost to Real Madrid in Kiev.

While growing up in Egypt, reports said Mo almost quit the round leather game due to the long distance he had to travel to and from training sessions.

ALL THE WINNERS

• Platinum Award: Senegal’s president Macky Sall
• Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
• Men’s National Team of the Year: Mauritania
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Desiree Ellis
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Herve Renard
• Youth player of the Year: Achraf Hakimi
• Women’s Player of the Year: Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana
• African Player of the Year: Mohamed Salah

– With agency reports