CAF Releases Longlist for 2017 Awards

CAF: Awards Gala will be held on Jan. 4 2018 in Accra, Ghana.

CAF Releases Longlist for 2017 Awards

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has listed 30 players each for the two categories of CAF award: Footballer of the Year award and Footballer of the Year based in Africa.

The winner of each award will be decided by votes from a selected group and the Awards Gala will be held on Jan. 4 in Accra, Ghana.

Nigerian energy giants Aiteo are the headline sponsors of the CAF awards’ 2017 edition, after taking over from Nigerian telecommunications company Glo.

The awards will see players, officials and administrators who distinguished themselves exemplary during the year under review being honoured for their efforts towards the development of the game on the continent

Three Nigerian players are in line for consideration for continental CAF awards: Victor Moses and William Troost-Ekong. Egypt-based Junior Ajayi who plays for Egyptian side Al Ahly has also been nominated for the African Player of the Year Based in Africa 2017 award.

Following are the list of nominees in the two categories:

African Player of the Year

Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Lyon)
Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)
Christian Atsu (Ghana & Newcastle)
Christian Bassogog (Cameroon & Henan Jianye)
Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)
Essam El Hadary (Egypt & Al Taawoun)
Fabrice Ondoa (Cameroon & Sevilla)
Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
Jean Michel Seri (Cote d’Ivoire & Nice)
Junior Kabananga (DR Congo & Astana)
Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor)
Mbwana Samata (Tanzania & Genk)
Michael Olunga (Kenya & Girona)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)
Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)
Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria & Bursaspor)
Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Youssef Msakni (Tunisia & Al Duhail)
Yves Bissouma (Mali & Lille)

African Player of the Year – Based in Africa

Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
Alkhaly Bangoura (Guinea & Etoile du Sahel)
Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & Al Masry)
Ayman Majid (Morocco & FUS Rabat)
Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
Dean Furman (South Africa & Supersport United)
Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Elsamani Saadeldin (Sudan & Al Merreikh)
Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)
Fawzi Chaouchi (Algeria & MC Alger)
Geoffrey Serunkuma (Uganda & KCCA)
Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
Karim Aouadhi (Tunisia & CS Sfaxien)
Mohamed Meftah (Algeria & USM Alger)
Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Muaid Ellafi (Libya & Ahly Tripoli)
Nasr Eldin Ahmed (Sudan & Hilal Obeid)
Oussama Darfalou (Algeria & USM Alger)
Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Sabelo Ndzinisa (Swaziland & Mbabane Swallows)
Saber Khalifa (Tunisia & Club Africain)
Saladin Said (Ethiopia & Saint George)
Sylvain Gbohouo (Cote d’Ivoire & TP Mazembe)
Tady Etekiama (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)
(NAN)
OLA