Senegalese striker Sadio Mané, one of the big disappointments of the 2019 Golden Ball, consoled himself with the title of best African player of 2019, awarded on Tuesday January 7 during a ceremony in Hurghada, Egypt.
Fourth in the Ballon d'Or classification, won for the sixth time by the Argentinian Lionel Messi, Sadio Mané had a successful year both with Liverpool (victories in the Champions League and the Club World Cup) and with his selection, beaten in the final of the African Cup of Nations (CAN). He also finished co-top scorer in the 2018-2019 Premier League season, with 22 goals. In total, the twirling 27-year-old winger scored 34 goals in 2019 and made 12 assists in 61 games.
The Liverpool player is ahead of his Egyptian teammate Mohammed Salah, who had won the two previous editions, and the Algerian Riyad Mahrez, captain and one of the main architects of the Fennecs' CAN victory. It’s the first time Mané has won this award. The last sacred Senegalese was El-Hadji Diouf in 2002, a year also marked by a CAN final, but also by a quarterfinal at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. "I am really happy and proud to win this trophy", reacted on the podium the Senegalese, the only player present among the three named on the banks of the Red Sea.
Algeria, best team
Riyad Mahrez, 28, will be able to console himself with the prize for the best goal of the year, for his free kick in the skylight which offered qualification for the CAN final in Algeria in the very last moments of the match against the Nigeria. His country was also named best African team of the year and his coach, Djamel Belmadi, was also awarded. Manchester City's attacking midfielder is the only Algerian player on the African team of the year, including Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Senegalese Idrissa Gueye and Cameroonian Joël Matip.
The Nigerian Asisat Oshoala was crowned best African player. The Barcelona striker reached the Champions League final and helped Nigeria get out of the pools at the 2019 World Cup in France, which ended in elimination in the round of 16. The second African team to leave the group, Cameroon, won the prize for the best team of the year.
Samuel Eto’o, four-time winner of the trophy, hosted the ceremony organized by the African Football Confederation, also in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and French coach Arsène Wenger.
Palmares
- Best Player: Sadio Mané
- Best Men's Team: Algeria
- Best coach of a men's team: Djamel Belmadi (Algeria)
- Best Young Player: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
- Eleven of the year: Andre Onana (Cameroon / Ajax Amsterdam), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Borrusia Dortmund), Kalidou Koulibaly (Cameroon / Naples), Joël Matip (Cameroon / Liverpool), Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast / Tottenham) , Hakim Ziyech (Morocco / Ajax Amsterdam), Idrissa Gueye (Senegal / PSG), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria / Manchester City), Mohammed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon / Arsenal), Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool).
- Best African player playing in a continental club: Youcef Belaili (Algeria)
- Best President of an African Club: Moise Katumbi (TP Mazembe, DRC)
- Special Prize: Kodjovi Obilale (Togo)
- Best Player: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
- Best Women's Team: Cameroon
- Best Coach of a Women's Team: Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
- Best Federation: Egypt
