Who will be named 2018 African Player of the Year? CAF announces nominees

Liverpool’s African players Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita will be competing to be named the 2018 African Player of the Year award, following their inclusion among the 34 nominees announced by Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Friday.

Egyptian Salah won the award last year after scoring 44 goals in all competitions during his first season at Anfield.

Senegalese Mane has been in outstanding form for Liverpool this season while Guinean Keita adapts to English football after a mid-year move from German Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

A couple of previous African Player of the Year winners, Algerian Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City and Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal, are also contenders this year.

Nigerian Alex Iwobi, Senegalese Idrissa Gueye and Ivorian Wilfried Zaha complete the list of nominees who play in the Premier League.

Men’s coach of the year

History-making French coaches Nicolas Dupuis and Corentin Martins are among 10 nominations for the best coach award.

Dupuis has qualified Madagascar for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time and Martins achieved a similar feat with Mauritania.

Men’s national team of the year

Madagascar and Mauritania are contenders for the national team award with Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Award winners will be announced on January 8 at a ceremony in Dakar.

READ MORE: Nominees for 2018 CAF Awards