Near-clean sweep for Senegal as Mane, Cisse win at CAF Awards

It was a clean sweep for Senegal on Thursday in Rabat as national team captain and new Bayern Munich signing Sadio Mane was named African Player of the Year.

National team head coach Aliou Cisse was named Coach of the Year, after leading his team to their first continental title and another FIFA World Cup qualification.

Pape Matar Sarr, an 18-year-old midfielder with English Premier League clubside Tottenham Hotspur, was also named the Young Player of the Year.

Senegal were also named the National Team of the Year, after winning the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January in Cameroon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mane retained the CAF African Player of the Year title, having also won the 2019 edition which was the last edition.

He recently left England’s Liverpool after a trophy-laden spell with the Reds, becoming the German Bundesliga’s marquee player after signing for Bayern Munich.

It was another Senegalese player in Simba’s Pape Ousmane Sakho who won CAF’s Goal of the Year in the mixed category for men and women.

That was for his spectacular overhead strike for Simba against Asec Mimosa in a CAF Confederation Cup group game.

However, it was not Senegal all the way as Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala won a record fifth African Player of the Year award.

Oshoala on her part now overtakes her compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha, to stand alone as a record five-time winner of the African Player of the Year accolade.

Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco were also named African Men’s Club of the Year, just as Mamelodi Sundowns Women were named Women’s Club of the Year.

South Africa’s national women’s head coach Desiree Ellis was named Africa’s Coach of the Year in the women’s football category.

She will lead Banyana Banyana into Saturday’s final match of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) against hosts Morocco.

Ghana’s Evelyn Badu scooped a double on the night as she won the women’s Interclub Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.

She had led Hassacas Ladies all the way to the final match of the inaugural Women’s Champions League and winning the tournament’s Golden Boot in the process.

The men’s Interclub Player of the Year was won by legendary Al Ahly and Egypt goalkeeper and captain, Mohamed El Shenawy.

NAN reports that the awards were held at thebimpressive Mohamed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Rabat.

It was attended by a gathering of Africa’s top football personalities and football stars.

The women’s National Team of the Year will be named after Saturday’s final match between hosts Morocco and South Africa at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

The Full List of Winners:

Player of the Year (Men)

Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich)

Player of the Year (Women)

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and FC Barcelona)

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Young Player of the Year (Women)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Young Player of the Year (Men)