Sadio Mane named African Footballer of Year on memorable night for Senegal as they also claim coach of the year
At the Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco, Senegal's Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive year.
In this year's Africa Cup of Nations final, Senegal defeated Egypt in a shootout and won the trophy for the first time thanks to Mane's game-winning penalty.
The honors were reinstated after being suspended for three years due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala also kept the title she won in 2019."I am overjoyed to get the trophy this year," Mane, 30, said as he accepted his award.
Mane defeated compatriot and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, as well as former Liverpool teammate Salah, whose Egypt squad was defeated in the final in February.
"I thank the Senegalese people and dedicate this trophy to my country's youth," said Mane, who also helped Senegal qualify for the World Cup and won two domestic cups with Liverpool.
Mane's award was one of five won by Senegal in a total of seven men's categories on a memorable night for the West African country.Long-serving Senegalese manager Aliou Cisse was chosen coach of the year, and his squad was selected men's team of the year, while Pape Sarr was named young player of the year and another Senegalese, Pape Ousmane Sakho, was named best goal for his overhead kick for Tanzanian side Simba.
"We've been waiting a long time for this Nations Cup," Augustin Senghor, president of Senegal's football federation, said. "We set a fantastic example for all of the teams that have yet to win (the tournament)."Sarr, who made only one appearance during Senegal's historic Nations Cup success, earned an accolade previously won by Salah after his season on loan with French club Metz, beating out Red Bull Salzburg's Ivorian Karim Konate and Manchester United's Tunisian Hannibal Mejbri.
A slew of African football stars, including Daniel Amokachi, Lucas Radebe, Jay-Jay Okocha, Geremi Njitap, and Senegalese combo El Hadji Diouf and Khalilou Fadiga, were in attendance for the honors at the Mohamed VI complex.Wydad Casablanca won the club of the year award for the second year in a row, while Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, whose Nations Cup was cut short due to injury, was named the interclub player of the year.
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