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Nigerian, Moroccan, Senegalese, Egyptian Stars Nominated for Top African Awards


Nigerian football star scores a penalty for his team, Napoli, in a Serie A match against Fiorentina, October 8, 2023.
Nigerian football star scores a penalty for his team, Napoli, in a Serie A match against Fiorentina, October 8, 2023.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Nigerian football star Victor Osimhen Wednesday was named among 30 nominees for the Confederation of African Football’s 2022-23 men's African Player of the Year award.

Osimhen, a prolific forward that plays for leading Serie A team, Napoli, last season scored 26 goals with four assists in 32 games.

The 24-year-old athlete played in Nigeria's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games where he scored 10 goals, including four in one match.

CAF's 2022-23 category for the African Player of the Year award will also feature Moroccan stars that made history in Qatar by becoming the first African tea to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.

Moroccan nominees include goalkeeer Yassine Bounou, defender Achraf Hakimi, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, winger Hakim Ziyech and forward Youssef en Nesyri.

Senegal's Saudi Arabia based forward Sadio Mane and Egypt's English Premier League based forward Mohamed Salah, both two-time winners of the award, also join the list of nominees.

Walid Regragui, who took charge of Morocco just a few months before the World Cup, is among 10 nominees for the coach award.

The Club Player of the Year list includes Fiston Mayele from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the joint leading scorer in both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup last season.

CAF technical experts, African football legends and media representatives created the lists for seven categories.

Nominees for the women's awards will be released later.

The CAF awards will be hosted on December 11 in the central Moroccan city of Marrakech.

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