Mahrez is African Player of the Year

Algeria international and Leicester City forward Riyad Mahrez won the biggest award of the night at the CAF Awards as he was named Best Player on the continent for the year 2016.

The 25-year-old edged Gabon’s Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Senegal’s Sadio Mane to clinch the award at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, where the CAF Awards gala held.

Mahrez led his club Leicester City to Premier League glory in 2016, and won the English Players’ Player of the Year award.

Gabon international Aubameyang, who won the prestigious award in 2015, was named second best while Senegal’s Mane came third.

Read also: NFF inaugurates Women football League Board

Other winners on Thursday were:

1. Uganda: National Team of the Year

2. Super Falcons: Women’s national team of the year

3. Mamelodi Sundowns: Club of the year

4. Kelechi Iheanacho: Most promising talent

5. Alex Iwobi: Youth player of the year

6. Pitso Mosimane: Coach of the year

7. Asisat Oshoala: Women’s player of the year

8. Bakary Papa Gassama: Referee of the year

9. Laurent Pokou and Emilienne Mbango: Legend awards

10. Denis ONYANGO: Player of the year based in Africa

11. Football Leader award: Manuel Lopes Nasciment the President of Guinea Bissau Football Federation

12. CAF Platinum award: Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari

And here is CAF finest XI:

Goalkeeper: Denis ONYANGO (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire & Paris Saint-Germain), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia & Valencia), Eric BAILLY (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United), Joyce LOMALISA (DR Congo & AS Vita)

Midfielders: Khama BILLIAT (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns), Rainford KALABA (Zambia & TP Mazembe), Keegan DOLLY (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns),

Forwards: Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund), Sadio MANE (Senegal & Liverpool), Riyad MAHREZ (Algeria & Leicester City)

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now