Sadio Mane has been crowned CAF Men’s Player of the Year for the second time, beating former teammate Mohamed Salah to the 2022 award.
The pair were named in the final three-man shortlist for the award after both enjoying a prolific and triumphant year.
They proved crucial for Liverpool in what was a remarkable campaign, combining for 54 goals as Jurgen Klopp‘s side lifted two trophies.
On the international stage, they twice faced off in major finals, with Mane emerging as the victor on both occasions with Senegal.
Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations and booked their place in the 2022 World Cup, with Salah’s Egypt twice on the wrong end of the result after gruelling matches that went the distance.
Salah and Mane were joined on the shortlist by Chelsea and Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who enjoyed success of his own with Senegal.
In the end, it was Mane who was crowned African Men’s Player of the Year for 2022 after proving crucial to Senegal’s recent triumphs, in addition to his impressive 23-goal tally for Liverpool.
Mane, now of Bayern Munich, is a deserving winner of the award, which he has now won for the second time in his career after also beating Salah back in 2019.
Liverpool’s No. 11 will have plenty of fire in his belly, though, to go one better next year and with his future at Anfield now settled, another scintillating season feels within reach.
