The moment of truth finally arrived for football on the African continent and on Tuesday night, top-perfoming players were duly honored for their remarkable achievements in the last calendar year. The event which took place inside Egypt's monumental Albatros Citadel Hotel Sahl Hasheesh in Hurghada proceeded in its full grandeur with a host of top personalities in the sport gracing the event.
Down to the night's business, all eyes were on the the most prestigious individual honour in African football - the African Men's Player of the Year and the African Women's Player of the Year - with stiff competition sweeping across both categories. With reference to the former, after two years of finding its way into Egypt's Mohamed Salah's trophy cabinet, the award finally found a new home.
This time, it was none other than Senegal skipper and Liverpool star Sadio Mane who took the ultimate gong. The recognition comes after the winger fired his nation to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final and his club to UEFA Champions League glory, scoring 35 goals in 63 appearances for club and country.
It's official!
— #CAFAwards2019 (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2020
The African Player of the Year for is #SadioMane
What an achievement for the Senegalese winger! #CAFAwards2019 pic.twitter.com/BwFBBxFBR1
In the women's category, Nigeria's Assisat Oshoala beat off competition from South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, winner of last year's award and Cameroon's Ajara Nchout to secure the Women's Player of the Year Award. The win took the Barcelona forward's award count to four having won the 2014, 2016 and 2017 editions.
Morocco winger Hakimi Achraf was adjudged the African Youth Player of the Year for his expectional performance for his country and club Borussia Dortmund last year. Relatively, the African Interclubs Player of The Year was handed to Algeria's Youcef Belaili.
The Algerian national team, The Desert Foxes, were named the African Men's Team of the Year while Cameroon women's national team scooped the honor of the best Women's Team of the Year. The former's coach Djamel Belmadi was crowned the Men's Coach of the Year for leading them to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title while Bayana's Desiree Ellis won the award for the Women's Coach of the Year.
Riyad Mahrez's freekick goal for Algeria in the AFCON 2019s semi final was named the Goal of the Year for its difficulty, execution and importance. The Egyptian Football Federation was named the Federation of the Year having organised one of the best AFCONs to date at a very short notice following CAF's decision to take the right away from Cameroon.
