CAIRO: The African Football Confederation (CAF) yesterday announced the list of candidates for the annual awards ceremony, which will be held in the Egyptian city of Hurghada on January 7th. Five Arab players are competing for the award this year, most notably the Egyptian Mohamed Salah Liverpool star, as well as Ajax playmaker Dutch, Moroccan Hakim Ziach, and the Algerian star in the ranks of Manchester City, Riad Mehrez, in addition to
Algerian Ismael Ben Nasser of AC Milan, Youssef Blili of Tunisia's former Esperance and current Saudi Ahli Jeddah.
Senegal's Sadio Manet, Liverpool's fellow striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal's top scorer, Napoli's Caledo Coulibaly, Napoli's Shanghai Shenhua, and Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana are among the favorites.
As for the final list of players nominated for the best African player in the continent, Anis Al Badri and Taha Yassine El Khanissi included Esperance Tunisian players, Al Ain UAE striker currently, Togolese star Laba Koudjou, former Moroccan Nahda Berkane player, and Tarek Hamed of Zamalek. Al-Masri, while Al-Bilaili also entered the list, helped Tunisia's Esperance win the African Champions League last May and won the African Nations Cup with Algeria.
The African Union was also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award, Morocco's Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund, Senegal's Cribin Diata of Belgium, Bruges, Mali Djenbo of Southampton of England, Nigerian Samuel Choucouzi of Villarreal and compatriot Victor Osmin of Lille.
In contrast, Senegal coach Alio Cisse and former Egyptian Zamalek coach Christian Gros, Algeria's Gamal Belmadi, Tunisia's Espérance coach Mouine Chaabani and Madagascar's Nicolas DePouy have been nominated for the best coach in the continent.
The African Union announced that Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia and Madagascar will compete for the best team of the year, while Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia will compete for the best women's team.
It is noteworthy that the last two versions of the main prize for the best player won by the Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, but in this year's award looks lucky and may tend to favor Senegalese Sadio Manet, especially as he finished fourth in the Golden Ball Award announced by the magazine «France Football» French two days ago Lionel Messi was crowned by Argentina, while Manet's Liverpool team mate, Dutch defender Virgil van Dyke, Cristiano Ronaldo and Salah came in fifth.
The 10 nominees for the Player of the Year award
■ Egyptian Mohamed Salah
■ Moroccan Hakim Ziach
■ Algerian Riad Mehrez
■ Algerian Ismail bin Nasser
■ Algerian Youssef Belaili
■ Senegalese Sadio Manet
■ Gabonese Aubameyang
■ Senegalese Calido Coulibaly
■ Nigerian Odeon Igalo
■ Cameroonian André Onana.
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi is the top candidate for the Young Player of the Year award, Algeria and Tunisia are among the contenders for the best team award, and Tunisian Mouin Chaabani and Algerian Belmadi are the best coach.