Super Eagles stars Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi and Odion Ighalo were on Friday named among the thirty-four nominees for the 2018 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards by the continent’s football governing body.
Musa was Nigeria’s stand out performer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, scoring twice in their group stage win over Iceland in Volgograd while Ighalo is currently the joint top scorer in the qualification series for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is also among the six players shortlisted for the young player of the year award. Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr was also shortlisted for the Coach of the Year award.
Winners of the awards will be elected by:
1. CAF Technical & Development Committee
2. Media Experts, Legends, Coaches of the quarter-finalists of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup
The Awards Gala which is designed to honour footballers and officials who distinguished themselves during the year under review, will be held on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in Dakar, Senegal.
Player of the year nominees
1. Abdelmoumene Djabou (Algeria & ES Setif)
2. Ahmed Gomaa (Egypt & El Masry)
3. Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Al-Nassr )
4. Alex Iwobi (Nigeria & Arsenal)
5. Andre Onana (Cameroon & Ajax)
6. Anis Badri (Tunisia & Esperance)
7. Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco & Hebei China Fortune)
8. Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
9. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
10. Fanev Andriatsima (Madagascar & Clermont Foot)
11. Franck Kom (Cameroon & Esperance)
12. Jacinto Muondo Dala ‘Gelson’ (Angola & Primeiro de Agosto)
13. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)
14. Idrissa Gueye (Senegal & Everton)
15. Ismail Haddad (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
16. Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele (DR Congo & AS Vita)
17. Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)
18. Mahmoud Benhalib (Morocco & Raja Club Athletic)
19. Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus)
20. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
21. Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)
22. Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)
23. Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Changchun Yatai, Nigeria)
24. Percy Tau (South Africa & Union Saint-Gilloise)
25. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal)
26. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)
27. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
28. Taha Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)
29. Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)
30. Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Saint-Étienne)
31. Walid Soliman (Egypt & Ahly)
32. Wilfried Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire & Crystal Palace)
33. Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
34. Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Esperance)
Youth player of the year
1. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmunmd)
2. Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria & Leicester City)
3. Andre Onana (Cameroon & Aax)
4. Ismaila Sarr (Senegal & Rennes)
5. Mahmoud Benhalib (Morocco & Raja Club Athletic)
6. Franck Kessie (Cote d’Ivoire & AC Milan)
Men’s coach of the year
1. Corentin Martins (Mauritania)
2. Florent Ibenge (AS Vita & DR Congo)
3. Juan Carlos Garrido (Raja Club Athletic)
4. Moine Chaabani (Esperance)
5. Nicolas Dupuis (Madagascar)
6. Patrice Carteron (Al Ahly)
7. Rachid Taoussi (ES Sétif)
8. Herve Renard (Morocco)
9. Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
10. Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)
