18 May 2023 – Football fans from across the African continent stand the chance to win one trip to Spain to watch a LaLiga match live when they cast their vote in the popular LaLiga Santander African MVP Award.
It’s been another year of strong performances from Africa’s elite players in LaLiga Santander and fans will now get the chance to vote for their choice of the league’s standout African Most Valuable Player on LaLiga’s social media channels. Voting has commenced on Thursday 18th May 2023.
Record-breaking Athletic Club striker Iñaki Williams won the LaLiga Santander’s Mid-Season African MVP Award in January, after overwhelmingly receiving the bulk of votes by a jury of football journalists and fans.
A jury of 35 top African journalists will again convene to decide the end of season African MVP, while there will also be a public vote to decide the winner.
Williams will be a strong contender to go on and win the end of season LaLiga MVP Award after another consistent season for Athletic Club, though he faces some strong competition.
Injury halted Williams’ incredible run of featuring in 251 consecutive LaLiga games for Athletic Club over a seven-year period, but following his return he was straight back to his influential best for the Basque club.
By mid-May the 27-year-old Bilbao-born Ghana international had scored nine goals with two assists in 32 games for Athletic Club and was always a key figure in a solid campaign for the Basque team.
There was a welcome return to LaLiga Santander – and to top form – for popular Nigerian Super Eagles attacker Samuel Chukwueze at Villarreal CF, as the 22-year-old scored six goals – including two sensational strikes in a 3-2 win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu which generated headlines around the world – and created five more to underline his importance for the Yellow Submarine.
Chukwueze has formed a formidable partnership with Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson, who is a star in the making who scored 10 goals with three assists in 32 games in all competitions for Villarreal CF this season.
After an inconsistent start to the season, Sevilla FC’s Moroccan contingent returned to LaLiga Santander prominence after playing major roles in the Atlas Lions’ historic run to a first African FIFA World Cup semi-final appearance.
Sevilla FC were at one stage involved in a relegation fight, but Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri returned inspired from Qatar to help Sevilla FC mount an unlikely late-season European charge with eight important LaLiga Santander goals in 29 appearances, picking up the LaLiga Santander April Player of the Month along the way.
En-Nesyri was also a major figure in Sevilla FC’s now customary run in the Europa League, playing a major part in dumping out Manchester United and taking his tally to 18 goals in all competitions as he inspired Sevilla FC to a barnstorming run to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals – a tournament they have made their own over the years with a record-breaking six title wins since 2006.
Last year’s LaLiga Santander African MVP, Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou, has not yet been able to replicate last season’s heroics on a regular basis, underscored by keeping just five clean sheets in his 24 LaLiga Santander games, but he too has stood up when it mattered most in Sevilla FC’s Europa League run.
Atlético de Madrid’s Mozambican star left back, Reinildo Mandava, had a fantastic start to the season as he became a first choice regular for Diego Simeone, before a serious knee injury unfortunately ended his season prematurely.
FC Barcelona’s Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie has quickly become a cult figure at the club and is celebrating the league title with Barça and his second league title in top-flight European football in consecutive years, after securing the Scudetto with AC Milan last season.
Kessie will be remembered as an iconic part of FC Barcelona’s LaLiga Santander title after scoring the winner against Real Madrid in March, which moved FC Barcelona into a double-figures lead.
Africa has also produced a number of young rising LaLiga stars to watch for in the future too, but none have shone as brightly as young Moroccan left-winger Abde Ezzalzouli, the CA Osasuna winger on loan from FC Barcelona who weighed in with some important goals for Los Rojillos as they made it all the way to the Copa del Rey final.
“African players have certainly made their mark on LaLiga Santander this season and the African MVP Award is a fantastic way to acknowledge the contribution made by African players to the league and to pay tribute to the growing interest of African fans in LaLiga.
“Bono was a worthy winner last year and we look forward to seeing which contenders have caught journalists and fans’ attention to challenge Iñaki Williams for the end of season African MVP Award this season. We also look forward to rewarding African football fans with a trip to experience LaLiga first-hand and encourage them to participate in this competition in large numbers,” said Patricia Irisarri Carredano, Regional Manager Africa.
Public voting for the LaLiga Santander African MVP closes on Sunday 28th May 2023.
Fans can vote on the following link: https://play.laliga.es/pub/africanmvp_2223
