Morocco and Borussia Dortmund defender, Achraf Hakimi, has been crowned as the African Youth Player Of The Year.
The 21-year-old beat Nigerian duo of Victor Osimhen (Lille) and Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal) to emerge the winner on Tuesday at the 2019 CAF Awards ceremony in Egypt.
Meanwhile, Senegalese striker and Liverpool star Sadio Mane won his first Africa’s 2019 Player of the Year honour.
The 27-year old beat his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah of Egypt who won the award the last two years, as well as Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City).
Celebrating his success at the event, he said, “I am really happy and at the same time I am really proud to win this award. It’s a big day for me.”
Mane scored 34 goals and produced 12 assists in 61 appearances in 2019, according to CAF statistics.
The Pride Of Nigeria
It was a win for Nigeria as Super Falcons’ Captain Asisat Oshoala was named as the 2019 African Women’s Player of the Year.
Oshoala, who plays for Spanish side Barcelona, beat Ajara Nchout of Cameroon and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana, who was crowned in Senegal last year to claim the title.
It is the fourth time the 25-year-old is being crowned the best African female footballer.
She won the award in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and was also among the final three in 2018 but lost to her South African rival Kgatlana.
Shortly after she was announced as the winner, Oshoala took to Twitter to thank her family and friends, as well as her fans and colleagues locally and internationally for their support.
Grateful to be African Women’s Player of the year for the 4th time. Thank God, my Family, Friends and Fans for the support. Big shoutout to my club , my management , team mates at both national team and club level and of course thanks to @CAF_Online for the opportunity ❤️❤️🙏🏾
— ASISAT M.O.N (@AsisatOshoala) January 7, 2020
Other male awards were claimed by Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi, Algerian Youcef Belaili for African Interclubs Player of the Year and Algeria’s national team.
The female awardees were South African coach Desiree Ellis, and Cameroon’s women national team.
The Egyptian Football Association won the Federation of the Year award.
