Sadio Mané was named African Player of the Year on Thursday after a season in which he kicked the winning penalty for Senegal as they claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title and repeated the feat when they secured World Cup qualification.

Mané finished ahead of Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, his former Liverpool teammate, and fellow Senegalese Edouard Mendy in the voting for the award given by the Confederation of African Football.

It was the second time the 30-year-old Mané, who last month joined German champions Bayern Munich, has won the award after receiving it in 2019.

The Confederation of African Football did not give the award in 2020 and 2021. It now recognises a player’s accomplishments over a season rather than during a calendar year.

Source: REUTERS