After a season in which he helped Senegal win their first Africa Cup of Nations championship then repeated the feat to ensure World Cup qualifying, Sadio Mane has been awarded African Footballer of the Year.
The 30-year-old forward player won the trophy for the first time in 2019 while he was playing for English club Liverpool. He recently signed a three-year contract with German powerhouse Bayern Munich.Mane stated on Thursday, "I am incredibly honored and highly thrilled to get this award again. "Thanks to my coaches, my teammates on the club and national teams, and those friends who supported me through the tough times,"
"I dedicate this honor to Senegalese youth. I'm speechless because I'm so overcome with emotion, he continued.
Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria beat off her countrywoman Perpetua Nkwocha to win the Women's Player of the Year award for a record fifth time.
Due to an injury, the 27-year-old Barcelona attacker was compelled to miss the current Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.Mane flew across the Atlantic after converting a penalty for his new team in a 6-2 preseason friendly win over DC United in Washington on Wednesday to accept the trophy in the Moroccan capital of Rabat.
He triumphed over Edouard Mendy, a goalkeeper for Chelsea, and former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah of Egypt.
Last season, Mane and Salah were instrumental in helping Liverpool win the FA Cup, English League Cup, and finish second in the Premier League and Champions League.
Mane chose to depart, with Bayern allegedly paying an initial 32 million euros ($32.5m) that may climb to 41 million euros ($41.7m) while Salah signed a new contract at Anfield.In February, after the final in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, ended scoreless, Mane converted the crucial fifth penalty to earn Senegal a 4-2 shootout victory against Egypt and their first Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
After a 1-1 aggregate tie, Mane defeated Egypt in a shootout to win the match a month later in a World Cup playoff close to Dakar, Senegal.Mane, who was raised in a town around 250 miles (400 km) from Dakar, caught Metz's eye after joining the Generation Foot team, a local second-tier club.
After establishing himself at Salzburg, Mane moved on to Southampton, where he accomplished accomplishments like scoring a record-breaking hat-trick in the Premier League against Aston Villa in just 176 seconds.
The Senegalese joined Liverpool in the middle of 2016 and eventually formed a terrifying front three with Brazilian Roberto Firmino and Egyptian Salah.
"My only critique of Sadio is that maybe at times he is the only one not to realize just how fantastic he is," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated as Mane went to Bayern.African award winners in football
Sadio Mane is the male player of the year (Senegal)
Mohamed el Shenawy of Al Ahly in Egypt was named club player of the year.Pape Matar Sarr won young player of the year (Senegal)
Aliou Cisse is the year's head coach (Senegal)
Senegal is the nation's team of the year.
Wydad Casablanca is the club of the year (Morocco)
Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal, Simba/TAN) has set the goal for the year.Asisat Oshoala is the female athlete of the year (Nigeria)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana, Avaldsnes, Norway) was named club player of the year.
Badu is the Young Player of the Year.
Desiree Ellis is the year's head coach (South Africa)
Mamelodi Sundowns was named Club of the Year (South Africa)
National Team of the Year will be revealed following the Cup of Nations final between South Africa and Morocco on Saturday in Rabat.
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