2023 CAF awards: Salah on shortlist for Player of the Year

CAIRO  – Liverpool star and Egypt international Mohamed Salah has been included in the 10-man shortlist for the 2023 Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Men’s Player of the Year award, where he will vie with the likes of Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and Senegal’s Sadio Mane.

The 31-year-old became Egypt’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifiers after netting a quadruple against Djibouti in Group A’s opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Liverpool star has now scored 15 goals for the Pharaohs in the African qualifiers.

With the Pharaohs, Salah has scored 15 goals from 21 qualifying matches, overtaking Mohamed Aboutreika who scored 14 in 25 appearances between 2001 and 2013.

With Liverpool, Salah has scored 12 goals in all competitions – including twice in the 3-0 win over Brentford in the English Premier League.

Salah is the first player in Liverpool history to score in the first six home games of a league season.

The Egyptian winger not only scored his 200th goal in England’s top flight, but also remains on a 15-game scoring streak at Anfield. Salah is the 3rd player to achieve such feats in the English Premier League. He comes just behind Alan Shearer (18) and Thierry Henry (17). Two legends of English soccer.

Ten players remain in contention for the topmost Player of the Year including last year’s winner Sadio Mane of Senegal.

The Interclub Player of the Year has 10 contenders whilst Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year has five each.

The ultimate winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.

The Awards Gala will take place on December 11 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco, according to cafonline.

Player of the Year (Men)

1. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Al-Ahli)
2. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon, SSC Napoli)
3. Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon, Besiktas)
4. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
5. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)
6. Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco, Manchester United)
7. Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Al Hilal)
8. Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco, Sevilla)
9. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, SSC Napoli)
10. Sadio Mane (Senegal, Al Nassr)

Goalkeeper of the Year (Men)

1. Mohamed el-Shenawy (Egypt, Al-Ahly)
2. Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Al-Hilal)
3. Andre Onana (Cameroon, Manchester United)
4. Ronwen Williams (Sout Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
5. Edouard Mendy (Senegal, Al Ahli)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

1. Aymen Mahious (Algeria, USM Alger/Yverdon-Sport)
2. Zineddine Belaid (Algeria, USM Alger)
3. Fiston Mayele (DR Congo, Young Africans/Pyramids)
4. Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt, Al-Ahly)
5. Mohamed el-Shenawy (Egypt, Al-Ahly)
6. Yahia Attiyat Allah (Morocco, Wydad Club Athletic)
7. Yahya Jabrane (Morocco, Wydad Athletic Club)
8. Peter Shalulile (Namibia, Mamelodi Sundowns)
9. Percy Tau (South Africa, Al-Ahly)
10. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia, Al-Ahly)

Young Player of the Year (U-21) (Men)

1. Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso, Bournemouth)
2. Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco, Real Betis)
3. Bilal El Khannous (Morocco, KRC Genk)
4. Lamine Camara (Senegal, Generation Foot/Metz)
5. Amara Diouf (Senegal, Generation Foot)

Coach of the Year (Men)

1. Abdelhak Benchikha (USM Alger)
2. Marcel Koller (Al-Ahly)
3. Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)
4. Walid Regragui (Morocco)
5. Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

National Team of the Year (Men)

1. The Gambia
2. Equatorial Guinea
3. Mauritania
4. Morocco
5. Senegal

Club of the Year (Men

1. USM Alger (Algeria)
2. Al-Ahly (Egypt)
3. Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
4. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
5. Young Africans (Tanzania)