Sadio Mané and Asisat Oshoala are named African Player of the Year


Mané scored the winning penalty in a thrilling penalty shoot-out as Senegal won their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations in the final against Egypt.

After missing a penalty earlier in the game, Mané hammered the ball past goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal to give his team a 4-2 penalty shootout victory – securing Senegal’s first continental championship against the tournament’s seven-time winners .

The 30-year-old forward, who signed a three-year deal with FC Bayern Munich last month, last won the award in 2019 when he was at Liverpool.

It was a big night for Senegal, who celebrated five awards: Aliou Cissé was named Coach of the Year, Pape Matar Sarr was named Young Player of the Year, Pape Ousmane Sakho was named Goal of the Year and Senegal was crowned National Team of the Year .

Meanwhile, Barcelona striker Oshoala was named player of the year for the fifth time – overtaking fellow Nigerian Perpetua Nkwocha’s back four.

Asisat Oshoala was named record player of the year for the fifth time.

Oshoala won the award ahead of Cameroon and Inter Milan’s Ajara Nchout Njoya and Zambia’s Grace Chanda.

Due to an injury, she had to miss this year’s Africa Cup of Nations Women.

Earlier this year she became the first African woman to win the Pichichi prize, awarded to the top scorer in the Spanish league.

This year’s women’s national team of the year will be announced after Saturday’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and South Africa.