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Presented by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the 'African Player of the Year' award is presented to the continent's most standout player in a particular year. The winner is decided by a judging panel comprising members of CAF’s technical committee, press and coaches and captains of Africa’s 54 national teams.
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) and Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) have won the award the most number of times, bagging the accolade on four occasions each.
In light of COVID-19, the CAF has not held the award since 2019. However, with the pandemic now in control, the award ceremony is set to return this year.
CAF recently announced the 10-man shortlist for this year’s award. Sadio Mane (current holder), Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Achraf Hakimi, Karl Toko Ekambi, Vincent Aboubakar, Naby Keita, Sebastien Haller, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly are on the exclusive shortlist.
With the winner set to be announced only seven days from now (July 21), we will take a look at five African stars who could win the award this year.
Here are five favorites for the 2022 CAF African Player of the Year, ranked:
Special note: We have only considered the last session for international teams (September 2021 to June 2022).
#5 Achraf Hakimi - Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain
Achraf Hakimi is one of the most exciting young defenders in the world right now. The Real Madrid academy graduate is quick, an excellent crosser, and has a knack for putting his boot through the ball as well.
Having won the Serie A title with Inter Milan in the 2020-21 season, the right-back joined Paris Saint-Germain in a €66.5 million deal last summer. He effortlessly settled into the team and quickly emerged as one of their most consistent players.
Hakimi, 23, played 41 games for PSG in all competitions, recording four goals and six assists. All his goal involvements came in Ligue 1, which helped the Parisians to their 10th French title at the end of the season.
For his country, the Moroccan scored four goals in 15 games between September 2021 and June 2022, helping them secure World Cup qualification in the process.
#4 Sebastien Haller - Ivory Coast and AFC Ajax/Borussia Dortmund
Having struggled to find his footing in the Premier League with West Ham United, Sebastien Haller joined Ajax in January 2021.
He found himself at home right away, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in 23 appearances across competitions for the Dutch giants. Haller’s 11 goals and five assists in 19 league games helped Ajax to the Eredivisie title.
The Ivorian upped the ante in his first full season at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Under Erik ten Hag, he emerged as the team’s undisputed talisman, most notably in the Champions League.
He scored 34 goals and provided nine assists in 43 matches in all competitions in the 2021-22 season. Eleven of those goals came in eight Champions League games.
Haller scored 21 goals in 31 Eredivisie games last season to finish as the division's top scorer, helping Ajax retain the league title in the process. He then joined Borussia Dortmund for a €31 million fee in the first week of July.
The 28-year-old striker played 11 games for Ivory Coast between September 2021 and June 2022, recording three goals and an assist.
#3 Riyad Mahrez - Algeria and Manchester City
Manchester City’s Algerian forward Riyad Mahrez enjoyed a blistering 2021-22 campaign. He played brilliantly for the Citizens, firing them to the Premier League title.
Mahrez mesmerized onlookers with his silky-smooth movement, immaculate first touch, and the ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations. He featured in 47 games for City in all competitions, scoring 24 times and providing nine assists, eventually finishing as the club's top goalscorer.
In the Premier League alone, the former Leicester City star scored 11 goals and created four more in 28 appearances.
Mahrez was in great form for Algeria in international fixtures as well. In 11 matches between September 2021 and June 2022, Mahrez pitched in with five goals and two assists.
Most importantly, all of his goal involvements came in the World Cup Qualifiers. They narrowly missed out on qualification, though, losing out to Cameroon in the World Cup Qualifier third round.
#2 Mohamed Salah - Egypt and Liverpool
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah emerged as the Premier League's best forward in the 2021-22 season. Salah scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists in 35 English top-flight appearances. He won the Golden Boot (most goals) alongside Tottenham Hotspur's Heung-min Son while also winning the Playmaker Award (most assists).
The Egypt international also scored eight goals and provided two assists in 13 Champions League appearances.
Salah, who won the FA Cup and the League Cup with Liverpool last season, has already won the 'CAF African Player of the Year' award on a couple of occasions.
He, however, fell short for his country in two crucial matches. Salah played 15 games for Egypt between September 2021 and June 2022, scoring two goals and providing four assists.
His side faced Senegal in the AFCON final as well as the World Cup Qualifier third round. Salah missed a crucial penalty in the qualifiers and never got the chance to kick it in the AFCON finale, losing both matches.
#1 Sadio Mane - Senegal and Liverpool/Bayern Munich
Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich earlier in July, had a fruitful 2021-22 campaign for Liverpool. Mane had 28 goal involvements (23 goals and five assists) in 51 games across competitions for the Reds.
He ended the season with a domestic cup double, winning the League Cup and the FA Cup. Salah’s numbers for Liverpool were undeniably better, but the shift Mane put in for them was nothing short of extraordinary.
The Senegalese ace was also formidable for his country over the last year, guiding them to AFCON glory and then World Cup qualification.
Between September 2021 and June 2022, Mane played 16 games for his country, scoring 10 times.
Most importantly, he calmly slotted away his crucial penalties in the AFCON final and World Cup Qualifier third round.
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