SAN FRANCISCO, October 16, (THEWILL) – The England-based trio John Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho have made the list of the 30 players shortlisted for the Glo-CAF African player of the year award for 2016.
Iheanacho has had an impressive time at Manchester City since breaking into the first team of the club and has already scored four goals in four games for Nigeria.
Mikel, led the Nigeria under-23 team to a bronze medal finish at the Summer Olympics in Brazil while Musa played a major role in CSKA Moscow’s title win in Russia before he moved to Leicester City.
Top stars including Riyad Mahrez, Samuel Eto’o, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew, Victor Wanyama and Eric Bailly were also listed.
Also, the Nigerian duo of Mfon Udoh of Enyimba FC and Chisom Chikatara of Wydad FC of Morocco made the shortlist for the Africa-based Player of the Year award alongside 23 other players featuring for different clubs on the continent.
Udoh currently leads the goal-scorers’ chart in this year’s CAF Champions League having scored nine goals.
CAF is expected to trim the number of nominees before the end of the year as the awards takes place in Abuja on January 5, 2017.
THE FULL LIST
African Player of the Year (Foreign Based)
- Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City)
- El Arabi Hillel Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb)
- Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City)
- Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor)
- Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient)
- Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & PSG)
- Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)
- Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma)
- Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)
- Andre Ayew (Ghana & West Ham)
- Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham)
- William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus)
- Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)
- John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea)
- Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City)
- Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Leicester City)
- Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)
- Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton)
- Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
- Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)
- Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs)
- Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk)
- Aymen Abdennour Tunisia & Valencia)
- Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland)
- Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa
- Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs)
- Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
- Joel Kimwaki (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
- Joyce Lomalisa (DR Congo & AS Vita)
- Salif Coulibaly (Mali & TP Mazembe)
- Ali Gabr (Egypt & Zamalek)
- Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Jackson Mwanza (Zambia & Zesco United)
- Rainford Kalaba (Zambia & TP Mazembe)
- Elia Meschak (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
- Aymen Hefny (Egypt & Zamalek)
- Morgan Betorangal (Chad & MO Bejaia)
- Hlompho Kekana (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Hamza Lahmar (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
- Jesse Were (Kenya & Zesco United)
- Idris Mbombo (DR Congo & Zesco United)
- Chisom Chikatara (Nigeria & Wydad Athletic Club)
- William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Reda Hajhouj (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Fabrice Nguessi Ondama (Congo & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Mfon Udon (Nigeria & Enyimba)
- Bassem Morsi (Egypt & Zamalek)
- Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Yannick Zakri (Cote d’Ivoire & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Story by David Oputah
