Sadio Mane, Asisat Oshoala win African Player of the Year awards

The Senegal forward is crowned African Player of the Year after helping his country win the first AFCON title.

African Footballer of the Year Awards
The awards ceremony was held in Rabat, Morocco [Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters]

Sadio Mane has been named African Footballer of Year after a season that saw him kick the winning penalty for Senegal as they claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title and repeat the feat when they secured the World Cup qualification.

The 30-year-old forward player, who signed a three-year deal with German giants Bayern Munich last month, won the award for the first time in 2019 while he was at English side Liverpool.

“I am really honoured and highly delighted to receive this award again,” Mane said on Thursday. “Thanks to my coaches, my club and national team colleagues and those friends who stood by me during difficult times.”

“I dedicate this award to the youth of Senegal. I’m very emotional and don’t have the words to express how I’m feeling,” he added.

Nigerian Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s Player of the Year for a record fifth time, overtaking compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.

The 27-year-old Barcelona forward was forced to miss the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco due to an injury.

There were musical performances by Nigerian star Tiwa Savage and Ivorian supergroup Magic System at the event, which was hosted by Cameroonian actress and presenter Sophy Aiida and Moroccan journalist Jalal Bouzrara.

sadio mane
Sadio Mane joined Liverpool in 2016 from Southampton; last month, he signed for Bayern Munich [File: Pablo Morano/Reuters]

Mane was in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, to receive the award after a dash across the Atlantic having converted a penalty for his new club in a 6-2 pre-season friendly win over DC United in Washington on Wednesday.

He won ahead of former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah from Egypt and fellow Senegal international and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Mane and Salah played pivotal roles last season with Liverpool, who lifted the FA Cup and English League Cup and finished runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.

Salah has since signed a new contract at Anfield while Mane opted for a move, with Bayern reportedly paying an initial 32 million euros ($32.5m) that could rise to 41 million euros ($41.7m).

In February, Mane converted the decisive fifth penalty to give Senegal a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Egypt and a first Africa Cup of Nations title after the final ended 0-0 in Yaounde, Cameroon’s capital.

A month later, Mane was once again the shoot-out match-winner against Egypt, this time in a World Cup playoff near Senegal’s capital, Dakar, after a 1-1 aggregate impasse.

Bayern Munich's Senegalese new forward Sadio Mane (2L) with his jersey poses next to Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn (L), President Herbert Hainer (2ndR) and Sporting Director Hasan Salihamidzic during a press conference after he signed a three-year deal with German first division football club FC Bayern Munich, in Munich, southern Germany
Bayern Munich confirmed the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool on June 22 [File: Christof Stache/AFP]

Born in a village nearly 400km (250 miles) from Dakar, Mane attracted the attention of Metz having played for local second-tier club Generation Foot.

After enhancing his reputation at Salzburg, Mane joined Southampton, where his feats included scoring a record-breaking 176-second Premier League hat-trick against Aston Villa.

In mid-2016, the Senegalese signed for Liverpool and went on to form a fearsome front three with Salah and Brazilian Roberto Firmino.

As Mane moved to Bayern, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “My only criticism of Sadio is that maybe at times he is the only one not to realise just how good he is.”

Sadio Mane after winning the African Footballer of the Year award
Mane won the award for the second time in his career [Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters]

Football: African awards winners

Men

Player of the Year: Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Club Player of the Year: Mohamed el Shenawy (Al Ahly/Egypt)

Young Player of the Year: Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)

Coach of the Year: Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

National Team of the Year: Senegal

Club of the Year: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)

Goal of the Year: Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal, Simba/TAN)

Women

Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)

Club Player of the Year: Evelyn Badu (Avaldsnes/Norway, Ghana)

Young Player of the Year: Badu

Coach of the Year: Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Club of the Year: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

National Team of the Year: To be announced after Cup of Nations final between Morocco and South Africa in Rabat on Saturday

Asisat Oshoala
Asisat Oshoala poses with the trophy next to CAF President Patrice Motsepe (left), after winning the Women’s Player of the Year award [AFP]
Source: News Agencies

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