Mohamed Salah will face competition from Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez if he is to sweep a third consecutive African Player of the Year award.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) tweeted that Egypt’s Salah, Mane of Senegal as well as Algeria’s Mahrez were on the shortlist for the award.
Salah was crowned the continent’s top player in 2017 and 2018 while Mahrez took it in 2016. Mane is yet to win the continent’s top individual honour.
Salah and Mane helped Liverpool to the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup this year.
Mahrez, meanwhile, was part of the City team who successfully defended the Premier League title, and also played an integral role in the Algerian squad which triumphed in the African Cup of Nations.
The winner of the African Player of the Year award will be announced at a ceremony in Cairo, Egypt, on January 7.
🚨 And then there are 3⃣!
🇩🇿 @Mahrez22@ManCity – @LesVerts
🇸🇳 Sadio Mané @LFC – @FootballSenegal
Who will be crowned the best in Africa on the 7th of January In Hurghada? 👑 pic.twitter.com/mc7o47Bk1j
— CAF (@CAF_Online) December 22, 2019