The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have announced the three-man shortlist for the African player of the year with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane both of Liverpool and Piere Aubemeyang of Borrussia Dortmund making the final cut with Victor Moses and Naby Keita dropping out. Despite the fact that you could contend a case for those two who were dropped, it is those three who made the final cut that deserved to have their spot in the top three which is the reason we will look at their exploits in 2017 and who among them is probably going to bring home the crown on January 4 2018.
Mohamed Salah: The Egyptian winger is the bookmakers’ favourite for the honor. He has had a stunning 2017, scoring goals for fun. In the 2016/2017 his last season at Roma he had a total of fifteen goals and eleven assists and he hasn’t halted there. He earned a then African record move to Liverpool last summer and he has proceeded from where he left off at Roma. He is right now the top scorer in the English top flight with 14 goals and has scored 6 more in other competitions making it a total of 20 goals in all competitions for Liverpool currently. He has likewise extended his form for club to his nation this season where he helped them reach to the AFCON final while his two goals against Congo guaranteed that Egypt will be at the World cup in 2018 for the first time since 1990. In reality it has been a sweet 2017 for the Egyptian and it shouldn’t come as a shock if he lifts the coveted award in January 2018.
Sadio Mane: The Senegalese star man was signed in the summer of 2016/2017 by Liverpool for then an African record fee. He helped Liverpool finish in the top four last season for the first time since 2014. Thirteen goals and eight assists in the league last season for the club helped him win the Liverpool’s player of the year last season. In national team he helped the Senegalese national team to qualify for their first World cup since 2002. In reasonableness Mane couldn’t have requested for a better year. His endeavors through the span of last season and in the early parts of this season are the reason behind why he’s on the final shortlist.
Pierre Aubemeyang: The Gabonese striker also had an astonishing year where he won the DFB Pokal cup, finished as Bundesliga top goal scorer last season in front of Lewandowski with 31 goals. He has proceeded with his goal scoring accomplishment this season where he is at present on 17 goals in all competitions. One thing that may however represent a mark against Aubemeyang is that he had little accomplishment with the national group this year, his Gabonese national group failed to make an impact at this year’s AFCON and furthermore failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World cup.
It guarantees to be an intriguing fight and come January 4 2018 we will get the opportunity to see who will inevitably get the crown.
