TAIWO ADELU
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday in Cairo announced the top 5 nominees for the 2016 African Player of the Year and the 2016 African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) in the Glo-CAF Awards.
Conspicuously missing on the list are three Nigerian Internationals, Ahmed Musa of Leicester City, Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City and John Mikel Obi of Chelsea who were included in the first list released by CAF in October.
The five players were shortlisted from a thirty-man list earlier nominated for the African Player of the Year and 25 players who made the list for the Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category.
The list include reigning African Footballer of the Year and Borussia Dortmund winger, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Senegal and Liverpool midfielder, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah of AS Roma of Italy and Egypt. The remaining two players shortlisted are Algeria’s duo of Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani who both play for Leicester City of England
In the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) category, the five shortlisted players include the quartet of Dennis Onyango, Hlompho Kekana, Keegan Dolly and Khama Billiat from the 2016 African Champions League winning side, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, while T.P. Mazembe player, Rainford Kabala from Zambia completed, the list.
Other categories of Awards to be released by CAF in the coming weeks includeMost promising Talent Award, National team of the year, Football Manager of the Year, Africa’s Finest Eleven, Goal of the Year and Save of the Year. Others are Referee of the Year, CAF Fair Play Award and African Legend Award.
The winners will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches and Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF.
The Glo-CAF Awards Gala nite will take place on Thursday, January 5, 2017 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.
Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was crowned African Player of the Year whilst Mbwana Aly Samatta of Tanzania was named African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) for the 2015 season.