BEVERLY HILLS, January 05, (THEWILL) – Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah was on Thursday crowned the 2017 African Player of the Year at the CAF/Aiteo awards ceremony in Accra, Ghana while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala emerged the winner of CAF Women’s Player of the Year for the third time.
The 25-year-old Egyptian, who has scored 23 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this season, had already won the BBC African Footballer of the Year and Arab Player of the Year awards before the Accra event.
Salah’s Liverpool’s teammate Sadio Mane came second followed by Gabon and Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aubameyang won the award in 2015.
Salah became the second Egyptian to win the award after Mahmoud al Khatib who won in 1983. He succeeds Algeria and Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez, who won the title last year.
Oshoala, 23 year old, was filled with emotions as she picked up her third award having won the Women’s African Player of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
The elated former Liverpool and Arsenal Ladies forward, who now plays in China, was in tears of joy as she managed to make her remarks.
“Its really been an emotional journey through 2017, i must say this is one of the personal moment in my career because when i left Arsenal and moved to China a lot of people said that Asisat your career is going to be gone,” she said.
“But i told myself that i can do this. And i think i have done it.
“I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the young girls do not let anyone talk you down, don’t listen to anyone. follow your heart.”
However, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr was not rewarded for helping the Super Eagles qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup as the Coach of the Year award was won by Egypt coach Hector Cuper.
Egypt also won the National Team of the Year award ahead of Nigeria and African champions Cameroon, while South Africa won the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Nigerian Junior Ajayi was named in the Africa’s Finest 11 for 2017.
Full List Of Winners:
Awards
African Player of the Year
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)
Youth Player of the Year
Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)
Coach of the Year
Hector Cuper (Egypt)
Club of the Year
Wydad Athletic Club
National Team of the Year
Egypt
Women’s National Team of the Year
South Africa
Legend
Ibrahim Sunday (Ghana)
Platinum Award
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo – President of Ghana
George Weah – President-elect of Liberia & former World, Africa and European Player of the Year
Fans’ Finest XI
Goalkeeper: Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly), Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United), Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
Midfielders: Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club), Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord), Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly), Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Forwards: Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool), Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
