Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Mane wins second African Player of the Year award

Sadio Mane has been named African Footballer of Year after a season that saw him kick the winning penalty for Senegal as they claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title and repeated the feat when they secured the World Cup qualification.
The 30-year-old forward player, who signed a three-year deal with German giants Bayern Munich last month, won the award for the first time in 2019 while he was at English side Liverpool.
Nigerian Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s Player of the Year for a record fifth time, overtaking compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.
The 27-year-old Barcelona forward was forced to miss the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco due to an injury.
Mane won ahead of former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah from Egypt and fellow Senegal international and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Mane and Salah played pivotal roles last season with Liverpool, who lifted the FA Cup and English League Cup and finished runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.
Born in a village nearly 400km (250 miles) from Dakar, Mane attracted the attention of Metz having played for local second-tier club Generation Foot.
After enhancing his reputation at Salzburg, Mane joined Southampton, where his feats included scoring a record-breaking 176-second Premier League hat-trick against Aston Villa.
In mid-2016, the Senegalese signed for Liverpool and went on to form a fearsome front three with Salah and Brazilian Roberto Firmino.
As Mane moved to Bayern, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “My only criticism of Sadio is that maybe at times he is the only one not to realize just how good he is.”
Football: African awards winners
Men
Player of the Year: Sadio Mane (Senegal)
Club Player of the Year: Mohamed el Shenawy (Al Ahly/Egypt)
Young Player of the Year: Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal)
Coach of the Year: Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
National Team of the Year: Senegal
Club of the Year: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)
Goal of the Year: Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal, Simba/TAN)
Women
Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)

Hot this week

Production up, but the ‘cost’ variable weighs heavily

Production is up in 2021 for the Italian agricultural...

Luminos Fund’s catch-up education programs in Ethiopia recognized

The Luminos Fund has been named a top 10...

Well-planned cities essential for a resilient future in Africa concludes the World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum (WUF) concluded today with a...

Private sector deemed key to unlocking AfCFTA potential

The private sector’s role is vital to fully unlock...

Security while Gaming: The Technologies that Keep Online Casinos Safe

Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important topic of discussion,...

Mufriat Kamil Returns to Legislative Leadership as Speaker of the House of Federation

The House of Federation (HoF) has officially elected veteran...

Africa seeks new PPP models for affordable social services

By Groum Abate African governments must improve project preparation, deepen...

Ethiopia moves to close the AfCFTA information gap with new trader guide and digital portal

Ethiopian businesses will soon have a clear, practical roadmap...

Hospitals overwhelmed as violence surges across Northern Ethiopia

The humanitarian landscape in northern Ethiopia has suffered a...

African food-system leaders back market-led model to scale agricultural investment

African agriculture does not suffer from a shortage of...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img