Salah retains African best player award, Oshoala dethroned

Mohamed Salah has again emerged as the African Player of the Year 2018.

While the Egyptian is keeping the coveted award for the second time in a row, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala has been dethroned as the best female player on the continent.

Last year, Salah, 26 , became the first Egyptian player to win the CAF Best Player Award since the introduction of the event in 1992.

With the Liverpool striker keeping the award in 2018, he has joined the list of the few players who won two awards in a row such as El Hadji Diouf from Senegal (2001, 2002), Samuel Eto’o from Cameroon (2003, 2004) and Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast (2011, 2012)

In the Women category, Thembi Kgatlana was voted as African Women’s Player of the Year 2018 ahead of the Nigerian duo of Oshoala and Francisca Ordega.

Oshoala was hoping to score a fourth win after her first three victories in 2014, 2016, and 2017 but that was not to be in Dakar on Tuesday night.

The Super Falcons won the first award of the night; as they were voted as the Best National Women Team for the Year.

In the male category Nigeria was not even nominated and it was won by Mauritania who for the first time in their history qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in style in 2018.

Though Super Falcons Coach Thomas Dennerby was nominated, it was South Africa’s Desiree Ellis that won the African Women’s Coach of the Year 2018.

For the Men’s Coach of the Year 2018, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr was not in the final shortlist and it was Morocco coach Herve Renard that was voted as the continent’s best gaffer.

Borussia Dortmund and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi beat Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi to the Young Player of the Year Award.

For the Goal of the Year; a new addition to the CAF Awards, South African female striker, Kgatlana was the proud winner.

Ydnekatchew Tessema Trophy for the Federation President of the Year was won by Fouzi Lekjaa president of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football.

There was big heartbreak for many Nigerians as no player from the country made the cut for Africa Best XI for 2018.

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Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

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