Salah, Mane, Oshoala and Kgatlana headline 2019 CAF Awards nominees

The Confederation of African (CAF), on Sunday, released the list of nominees for the 2019 CAF Awards ceremony with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane as well as Assisat Oshoala and Thembi Kghatlana featuring among the nominees for top gongs. The event, which is slated for Tuesday, 7 January 2020 in Hurghada, Egypt, will be the 28th edition of the annual football awards.

As it is the case every year, CAF willl seek to celebrate Africa's finest talents who have performed remarkably for their respective clubs and countries. Awards will be handed out in categories such as African Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Youth Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, Goal of the Year, Africa Finest XI, and Federation of the Year.

Per the African football federation, several new award categories such as the Interclubs Player of the Year Award, have also been introduced to "recognise exceptional contributions to African football and inspiring individuals."

In the men's category, Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been named once again and will compete for the ultimate gong for third year running. The former will be chasing a record-third successive award-win, having won the previous two. Nevertheless, having failed to win the AFCON on home soil with Egypt, he faces a stiff competition from his club teammate who played a key role in the Reds' lifting the 2019 Champions League and Senegal reaching the 2019 Cup of Nations final.

Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez, also a nominee, remains a keen contender for his contributions to the Citizens winning the Premier League as well and Algeria lifting its first AFCON trophy last summer. Ghanaian duo of Thomas Partey and Jordan Ayew as well as Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been shortlisted for the top award.

In the women's category, current holder Thembi Kgatlana was named among the nominees. She will face a stiff competition from Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala as well as Cameroon's Ajara Nchout.

Below are the full list of nominees for CAF Awards 2019:

African Player of the Year

1. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)

2. André Onana (Cameroon & Ajax)

3. Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria& Al-Sadd)

4. Carolus Andriamatsinoro (Madagascar & Al Adalah)

5. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

6. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon & Paris Saint-Germain)

7. Ferjani Sassi(Tunisia & Zamalek)

8. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)

9. Idrissa Gueye (Senegal & Paris Saint-Germain)

10. Ismail Bennacer (Algeria & AC Milan)

11. Jordan Ayew (Ghana & Crystal Palace)

12. Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)

13. Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Togo & Al Ain)

14. Mahmoud Hassan"Trezeguet" (Egypt & Aston Villa)

15. Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk)

16. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

17. Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)

18. Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)

19. Nicolas Pepe (Côte d'Ivoire & Arsenal)

20. Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Shanghai Shenhua)

21. Percy Tau (South Africa & Club Brugge)

22. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal)

23. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)

24. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

25. Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)

26. Thomas Teye Partey (Ghana & Atlético Madrid)

27. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Lille)

28. Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria & Leicester City)

29. Wilfried Zaha (Côte d'Ivoire & Crystal Palace)

30. Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Ahli Jeddah)

 African Women's Player of the Year

1. Ajara Nchout (Cameroon & Valerenga )

2. Ange N'Guessan (Côte d'Ivoire & Tenerife)

3. Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

4. Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria & Rivers Angels)

5. Elizabeth Addo (Ghana & Jiangsu Suning)

6. Gabrielle Ouguene (Cameroon & CSKA Moscow)

7. Refiloe Jane (South Africa & AC Milan)

8. Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Jiangsu Suning)

9. Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Beijing Phoenix FC)

10. Uchenna Kanu (Nigeria & Southeastern Fire).

African Interclubs Player of the Year

1. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)

2. Anice Badri (Tunisia & Esperance)

3. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

4. Emmanuel Okwi (Uganda & Simba)

5. Ferjani Sassi (Tunisia & Zamalek)

6. Fousseny Coulibaly (Cote d'Ivoire & Esperance)

7. Franck Kom (Cameroon & Esperance)

8. Herenilson (Angola & Petro de Luanda)

9. Ismail El Haddad (Morocco & Wydad Casablanca)

10. Jean Marc Makusu (DR Congo & AS VITA)

11. Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Togo & RS Berkane / Al Ain)

12. Mahmoud Alaa (Egypt & Zamalek)

13. Meddie Kagere (Rwanda & Simba)

14. Meschack Elia (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)

15. Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)

16. Tarek Hamed (Egypt & Zamalek)

17. Themba Zwane (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

18. Trésor Mputu (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)

19. Walid El Karti (Morocco & Wydad Casablanca)

20. Youcef Belaïli (Algeria & Esperance / Ahli Jeddah).

African Youth Player of the Year

1. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)

2. Amadou Haidara (Mali & RB Leipzig)

3. Amadou Sagna (Senegal & Club Brugge)

4. Enock Mwepu (Zambia & Red Bull Salzburg)

5. Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal & Watford)

6. Krépin Diatta (Senegal & Club Brugge)

7. Moussa Djenepo (Mali & Southampton)

8. Moussa Ndiaye (Senegal & Excellence Foot)

9. Musa Barrow (Gambia & Atalanta)

10. Osvaldo Pedro Capemba 'Capita' (Angola & Primeiro de Agosto)

11. Patson Daka (Zambia & Red Bull Salzburg)

12. Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria & Villarreal)

13. Sekou Koita (Mali & Red Bull Salzburg)

14. Steve Regis Mvoue (Cameroon & AS Azur Star)

15. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Lille)

16. Zito Luvumbo (Angola & Primeiro de Agosto).

African Men's Coach of the Year

• Aliou Cisse (Senegal - Senegal)

• Christian Gross (Switzerland - Zamalek)

• Corentin Martins (France - Mauritania)

• Djamel Belmadi (Algeria - Algeria)

• Faouzi Benzarti (Tunisia - Wydad Athletic Club)

• Gernot Rohr (Germany - Nigeria)

• Moïne Chaâbani (Tunisia - Esperance)

• Mounir Jaouani (Morocco - Berkane FC)

• Nicolas Dupuis (France - Madagascar)

• Pitso Mosimane (South Africa - Mamelodi Sundowns).

African Women's Coach of the Year

• Alain Djeumfa (Cameroon)

• Bruce Mwape (Zambia)

• Clementine Toure (Côte d'Ivoire)

• Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

• David Ouma (Kenya)

• Thomas Dennerby (Nigeria)

African Men's National Team of the Year

• Algeria

• Madagascar

• Nigeria

• Senegal

• Tunisia

African Women's National Team of the Year

• Cameroon

• Côte d'Ivoire

• Kenya

• Nigeria

• South Africa

• Zambia.