The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Wednesday the preliminary lists of candidates for its 2023 awards, which will be presented during a huge ceremony in the Moroccan city of Marrakech on December 11.

CAF revealed on its official account on the X platform (formerly Twitter) the candidates for the African Player of the Year award for the current year, as the initial list included 30 players, including 14 Arab players.

Morocco had the lion's share of the candidates for the award, with 7 representatives on the list, after the historic achievement of the Atlas Lions, who finished fourth in the World Cup in Qatar late last year.

The Moroccan national team was the first Arab and African team to reach the Golden Square in World Cup.

Ladies and gentlemen 🚨

Here is the list of nominees for the 2023 African Player of the Year award. 🥁 #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/BAtzNehne1

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 1, 2023

The Arab players on the list are:

  • Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
  • Moroccan Youssef Nasiri (Sevilla)
  • Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia)
  • Moroccan Yahya Jubran (Moroccan Wydad)
  • Moroccan Sofiane Amrabat (Verontinia and Manchester United)
  • Moroccan Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea and Galatasaray)
  • Moroccan Azzedine Onahi (French Angers and Marseille)
  • Egyptian Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
  • Egyptian Mohamed Abdel Moneim (Al-Ahly of Egypt)
  • Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy (Al-Ahly of Egypt)
  • Egyptian Mahmoud Abdel Moneim "Kahraba" (Al-Ahly of Egypt)
  • Algerian Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City and Saudi Arabia's Al Ahly)
  • Algerian Rami Bensbaini (Dortmund)
  • Tunisia's Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan (Esperance Tunis)

As for the list of the best players within the African continent, announced by CAF, it included 20 players:

  • Hussein El Shahat, Mahmoud Abdel Moneim Kahraba, Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Mohamed El Shenawy and Mostafa Fathy (Egypt)
  • Youssef Al-Mouti', Yahya Gibran and Yahya Attiyatullah (Morocco)
  • Zinedine Belaid and Oussama Ben Bout and Aymen Mahyous (Algeria)
  • Ali Maaloul and Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan (Tunisia)
  • Percy Tao, Ranga Chifavero and Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
  • Maccabi Lilibo and Feston Mayele (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
  • Peter Chalulili (Namibia)
  • Wodjijoy Diarra (Mali)

Impressive performance they have performed on the continent. 🌍

List of players nominated for the African Player of the Year award. ✨ #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/beaP3HK4T9

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 1, 2023

As for the award for the best club in Africa, 10 clubs compete for it, foremost of which are:

Here are the clubs nominated for the Best Club in Africa award for 2023! 🔝 #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/lcPaG1MYd8

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 1, 2023

  • Egyptian Al , Ahly
  • Morocco's Wydad Casablanca
  • USM Alger
  • Esperance Tunisien
  • Raja Casablanca of Morocco
  • Algerian Chabab Belouizdad
  • Mamelodi Sundowns South Africa
  • Maromu Galants from South Africa
  • ASEC Mimosa Ivory
  • Tanzanian Young Africans

Morocco is competing for the 2023 African Team of the Year award with Senegal (African champions), Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Namibia and Mozambique.

🔟 Teams compete for the Best in Africa award for 2023! 🌍 #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/kjbBA1lemZ

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 1, 2023

CAF also announced the list of nominees for the African Artistic Director of the Year award, which he is competing for:

  • Moroccan Walid Regragui (Morocco coach)
  • Marcel Kohler (Al Ahly coach)
  • Algeria's Abdelhak Benchikha (USMA)
  • Senegalese Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
  • Senegal's Pape Thiao (Senegal national team)
  • Guinean Juan Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)
  • Amir Abdo (Mauritania)
  • Guinean Passero Cande (Guinea-Bissau)
  • Belgian Tom Saintvet (Gambia)
  • Mozambican Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique)

The list of nominees for the Best Goalkeeper Award in Africa included:

  • Morocco's Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Saudi Al Hilal)
  • Egyptian Mohamed El-Shenawy (Al-Ahly)
  • Algeria's Oussama Benbot (USMA)
  • Senegalese Eduardo Mendy (Chelsea, Saudi Arabia's Al Ahly)
  • Cameroon's Andre Onana (Inter and Manchester United)
  • South African Ronwen Williams (Sundowns)
  • Senegalese Landing Badji (um Salal Qatar)
  • Senegalese Bab Mamadou Si (Belgian RFC)
  • Malian Djeji Diarra (Young Africans)
  • Moroccan Youssef Moutia (Wydad Casablanca)

The list of nominees for the Young Player of the Year award includes:

  • Moroccan Abdessamad Zalzouli (Real Betis)
  • Bilal Al-Khanousi (Belgian Genk)
  • Burkinabe Dango Ouattara (Bournemouth)
  • Burkinabe Soulimani Aliu (Burkinabe New Star)
  • Nigerian Gift Urban (Belgian Ghent)
  • Ghanaian Ernest Nwamah (French Lyon)
  • Senegalese Amara Diouf (French Metz)
  • Senegalese Pape Diop (Belgian Zolt Farjem)
  • Senegalese Papa Amadou Diallo (French Metz)
  • Senegalese Lamine Camara (French Metz)

The future of the 🤩 African continent

List of nominees for the Best Young 👇 African Player Award #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/g0noqRGDOw

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) November 1, 2023