2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees – Who are Your favourites? – The confederation of African Football Federation CAF, has announced the 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees. This is in view of the Glo CAF awards that is slated to hold on Jan. 5, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.

2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees from CAF came in two categories. The first category is African  Player of the Year Award which is open to all African footballers who are at home and abroad. The second Category is African Player of the Year based in Africa. This category is open to only African footballers who ply their trade within the shores of Africa.

For both Categories of  the 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees, the African football governing body yesterday, released a 30-man shortlist of players one of whom will go home with the main trophy at each Category.

Last years winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund tops the list but reigning PFA player of the year Riyad Mahrez of Leicester city and Algeria remains favourite to go home with the top honour come January 2017.

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Riyad Mahrez Mahrez was so outstanding for the reigning English premier league champions last season. He ended up being rewarded for his performances with the PFA honour and the Premier League. Those do not come easy.

On other hand, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Borussia Dortmund to the second place in the German Bundesliga last season though not with exactly the same form that saw him depose Yaya Toure as the reigning African footballer of the year.

Some other notable players on the list of 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees are Saido Mane of Liverpool and Senegal, Mohammed Sallah of Egypt and Roma, Yaya Toure of Manchester City and Ivory Coast, Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon & Antalyaspor.

Others are John Obi Mikel, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa all of whom are Nigerians, and Serge Aurier of Cote d’Ivoire & Paris St-Germain, Eric Baily of Manchester United and Senegal, Islam Slimani of Algeria & Leicester City FC along with Andrew Ayew of WestHam and Ghana.

South Africa-based players dominate the 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees for players based in Africa.

Mamelodi Sundowns stars Denis Onyango, Keagan Dolly, Hlompho Kekana, Khama Billiat have all made the list owing to their impressive perfomances in the CAF champions League this season as they are well positioned to take home the trophy. Kaizer Chiefs’ Itumeleng Khune also made the list.

2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees in full

African Player of the Year  (2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees)

1. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City)
2. El Arabi Hillel Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb)
3. Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City)
4. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor)
5. Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient)
6. Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & Paris St-Germain)
7. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)
8. Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune)
9. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma)
10. Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal)
11. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund)
12. Andre Ayew (Ghana & West Ham)
13. Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham)
14. William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club)
15. Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus)
16. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)
17. John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea)
18. Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City)
19. Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Leicester City)
20. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)
21. Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton)
22. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
23. Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)
24. Keagan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
25. Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs)
26. Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk)
27. Aymen Abdennour Tunisia & Valencia)
28. Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland)
29. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
30. Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)

 ( 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees)

African Player of the Year – Based in Africa

1. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
2. Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs)
3. Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
4. Joel Kimwaki (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
5. Joyce Lomalisa (DR Congo & AS Vita)
6. Salif Coulibaly (Mali & TP Mazembe)
7. Ali Gabr (Egypt & Zamalek)
8. Keagan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
9. Jackson Mwanza (Zambia & Zesco United)
10. Rainford Kalaba (Zambia & TP Mazembe)
11. Elia Meschak (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
12. Aymen Hefny (Egypt & Zamalek)
13. Morgan Betorangal (Chad & MO Bejaia)
14. Hlompho Kekana (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
15. Hamza Lahmar (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel)
16. Jesse Were (Kenya & Zesco United)
17. Idris Mbombo (DR Congo & Zesco United)
18. Chisom Chikatara (Nigeria & Wydad Athletic Club)
19. William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club)
20. Reda Hajhouj (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
21. Fabrice Nguessi Ondama (Congo & Wydad Athletic Club)
22. Mfon Udon (Nigeria & Enyimba)
23. Bassem Morsi (Egypt & Zamalek)
24. Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)
25. Yannick Zakri (Cote d’Ivoire & Mamelodi Sundowns)

 

What do we make of the 2016 CAF African Player Awards Nominees released by CAF and who your favorite to win the Glo CAF Awards in Abuja next year?