Liverpool's Sadio Mane has won the African Player of the Year Award 2019. The 27-year-old Senegalese who plays for the English Premier League giant club, Liverpool was announced the winner of the category at the CAF Award of 2019 held in Hurghada, Egypt. The former Southampton player defeated other nine players to the award.
On the list of nominees are: André Onana (Cameroon & Ajax); Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax); Ismail Bennacer (Algeria & AC Milan); Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli); Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Shanghai Shenhua); Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal); Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City); Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool); and Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Ahli Jeddah).
Mane signed for Jurgen Klopp side, Liverpool in 2016 for a record fee of £34 million on a five-year contract. This made him the most expensive African player in history at the time.
In 2019, Mane was ranked fourth for the Ballon d’Or. Also, he was ranked 5th place for the Best FIFA Men’s Player in the same year. He has so far scored 74 goals for Liverpool in his 151 appearances since his debut in 2016 ― with 56 goals in the premier league competition.
Mane contributed immensely to the progress of the Senegalese team in the last African Cup of Nations. He scored the lone goal against Uganda; scored 2 goals against Kenya in a match that ended 3-0 in favour of Senegal. Senegal finished second place in the competition.
