Salah, Mane, Aubameyang are finalists for CAF Player of the Year

By : Editor

Date: 2 January 2019 5:15am WAT

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang attends a training session on the eve of their UEFA Europa League first leg quarter-final football match against CSKA Moscow at Arsenal's London Colney training ground on April 4, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ben STANSALL has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [UEFA Europa League first leg quarter-final] instead of [UEFA Champions League first leg semi-final]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”

Arsenal Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL /

Voters in the 2018 CAF Awards have picked Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the finalists for the ceremony, which holds next week in Dakar, Senegal.

Salah was last year’s winner and he followed up his 2017 achievements with another fine 12 months, breaking the Premier League’s 38-game season goals record, while leading Liverpool to the Champions League final, before ending the year on top of the league table.

Team-mate Mane – second in 2017 – has been similarly influential in the Reds’ success, forming a devastating forward line along with Salah and Roberto Firmino, and netted in the Kiev final defeat to Real Madrid.

Salah and Mane both went to the World Cup, with Egypt and Senegal respectively, but neither made it past the group stage.

Meanwhile, 2015 Player of the Year Aubameyang hit the ground running in England after a big move from Borussia Dortmund.

The Gabon international scored 10 Premier League goals last term following his switch and, heading into yesterday’s action, was tied with Salah and Harry Kane at the top of the scoring charts with 13 this season.

Salah and Mane were both on target as Liverpool thrashed Aubameyang’s Arsenal 5-1 on Saturday.