Mohamed Salah will be looking to bag a hattrick of Confederation of African Football (Caf) Player of the Year awards on home soil when he battles for the coveted crown alongside Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane who he beat to the award in 2018 and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez at the annual awards ceremony to be staged in Hurghada, Egypt, on Tuesday.
Salah will hope to enter into an illustrious group, looking to become only the third player to win the award more than twice. Only Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure have won more than two Caf Player of the Year Awards, each clinching it four times.
Just like his teammate Sadio Mane, Salah enjoyed a great season and was instrumental as Liverpool rode onto a sixth Uefa Champions League title, netting five goals and laying up two assists in a total of 12 matches.
He shared the English Premier League golden boot with Sadio Mane and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, each having scored 22 goals where he also contributed 11 assists. His total tally of goals for the entire season with Liverpool was 36.
At the start of the 2019/20 season, Salah opened up the year winning the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Club World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
In Doha, he was named player of the tournament with his scintillating displays which included an assist for Guinean midfielder Naby Keita in a 2-1 victory over Monterrey in the semi-finals.
At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held on home soil, the Egyptian King scored twice as Egypt had their campaign ended at the round of 16 stage following a 1-0 loss to South Africa. His two goals came against DR Congo and Uganda in the group stages.
Will Salah ink his name into the books of African football history by clinching a third individual crown following his success in 2017 and 2018? The answer will be revealed to all when the entire continent hits the red carpet at the Albatros Citadel Sahl Hasheesh Hotel in Hurghada on Tuesday.
In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo
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