Stars of Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco dominate the nominations for the African Best Awards

The African Football Confederation (CAF) has announced the lists of candidates for the 2019 Player of the Year awards, which will be announced at the ceremony in the Egyptian city of Hurghada on 7 January.

CAF said on its official website on Sunday that the lists were selected through media specialists and technical experts, which includes several categories of awards: the best player and player, the player of the year, the coach of the year, the young player of the year, the team of the year, the goal of the year, and the best 11 players on the continent. The General Union, as well as other new categories, will honor exceptional contributions to African football and inspiring personalities.

The Player of the Year award has been reinstated in club competitions and will be dedicated to honoring outstanding players in CAF competitions.

The list of candidates for the best player for this year included thirty players, one-third of them are Arab stars, most notably the last two years defending Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Liverpool star, with whom this year joined his compatriot Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet" of Aston Villa, and was also selected from Liverpool duo Sadio Mane ( Senegal) and Nabi Keita (Guinea).

Algeria won the lion's share of four candidates: Riad Mehrez (Manchester City), Ismail bin Nasser (Milan), Baghdad Bounjah (Qatari Dam) and Youssef Balili (Ahli Jeddah). From Morocco, Hakim Ziach (Ajax) and Ashraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund) were chosen. From Tunisia, Ferjani Sassi (Zamalek) and Taha Yassine Khenissi (Esperance).

In the women's teams, ten players compete for the best prize: Nigeria's Azizat Oshwala of Barcelona and Rivelo Jane of South Africa.

The CAF announced the nominees for the best player award in club competitions inside the continent and the number of twenty players, half of them are also Arabs, including four players from Tunisia are Ali Maaloul (Ahli) Sassi (Zamalek) and star Esperance Khanis and Anis Badri, in addition to Egyptians stars Zamalek Tarek Hamed and Mahmoud Alaa , Moroccans Ismail El Haddad, Walid El Karti (WAC) and Algerian Blaili for the time he played Esperance.

The list of candidates for the best emerging player included 15 players, including one Arab defender Moroccan Hakimi.

Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi was at the top of the list of 11 candidates for the best list, followed by Tunisian Mouin Chaabani (Esperance) in addition to Christian Gros (former Zamalek coach), Senegalese coach Aliou Cisse, Tunisia's Fawzi Benzarti and Moroccan Mounir Jaouani.