Egypt international Mohamed Salah has crowned a memorable 2018 year by collecting the CAF Player of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Salah made the final three-man shortlist for this year’s African Player of the Year award alongside Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.
The final three was an exact repeat of last year’s shortlist, which saw Mohamed Salah winning it for the first time in his career, with Sadio Mane and Aubameyang coming in second and third places respectively.
This year, the award has seen the same outcome, as the Egyptian managed to win the accolade one again, however, Aubameyang managed to finish second ahead of Sadio Mane.
Mohamed Salah becomes the first player to win the award two years in a row after Yaya Toure, who claimed it four years in a row between 2011 and 2014.
Furthermore, Egypt have now won the award three times, equalling Liberia and Algeria’s records, with Al Ahly’s current president Mahmoud El-Khatib being the first Egyptian to win the award in 1983.
Mohamed Salah had an astonishing season with Liverpool, breaking the Premier League all-time scoring record in a single season with 32 goals and many other records with the Reds.
He also led Liverpool to the Champions League final, before helping his side to end the year on top of the Premier League table, seven points ahead of second-placed Man City.
The Egyptian was also crowned as the best player in the Premier League last season and finished 6th in the Ballon d’Or ranking.
On the international level, Salah played twice in Egypt’s first World Cup campaign in 28 years, scoring twice against Russia and Saudi Arabia, however, the Pharaohs failed to collect a single point and were knocked out of the group-stages.
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)
