By James Agberebi:
Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been crowned 2017 Aiteo Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Player of the Year.
Salah, 25, was announced as the 2017 recipient at the State House Banquet Hall, Accra, Ghana on Thursday night.
The 2017 BBC African Player of the Year winner beat club teammate and Senegal forward Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund to claim the award.
In second position was Mane while Aubameyang was third.
Salah becomes the first Egyptian since Mahmoud El Khatib in 1983 (when the award was organised by France Football magazine) to be crowned African best player.
In the category for the Women’s Player of the Year award, Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala emerged the winner, thereby retaining her title which she won in 2016 and has now won it three times (2014, 2016, 2017).
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr lost to Argentina and Egypt coach Hector Cuper in the Coach of the Year category while the Pharoahs of Egypt who qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and were finalist at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations won National Team of the Year.
The Women’s National Team of the Year went to South Africa, 2017 CAF Champions League winners Wydad Casablanca of Morocco got the Club of the Year aaward, Zambia’s Patson Daka was presented with the Youth Player of the Year award, Legends Award went to Ibrahim Sunday of Ghana who won the CAF Player of the Year in 1971, Ahmed Yahya was awarded with Leader of the Year and President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo and newly elected President of Liberia George Weah were awarded with Platinum Award.
As Part of events to mark the 2017 CAF awards, past winners of the CAF Player of the Year Award were present. Also top African music stars like Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage, Phyno, Flavour, Wizkid, Olamide, Patoranking and Fali Ipupa of Democratic Republic of Congo were on hand to entertain the guests.
Salah, Oshoala Win 2017 Aiteo CAF Best Player Awards; Cuper Beats Rohr
