Sébastien Haller has been selected by the African Football Association CAF as a contender for African Footballer of the Year. The association has selected thirty players who are all eligible for the prestigious award. Sadio Mané has been defending the title since 2019, as the prize was not awarded for two years due to the corona pandemic.
In addition to Haller, top players such as Mané (Bayern Munich), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) have been nominated. However, the winger who left Liverpool seems to be the big favorite for the price. Mané managed to win the Africa Cup with his native country in February. In addition, the attacker reached the final of the Champions League with Liverpool last season and finished second in the Premier League with the English club.
??????1 ??????3 ??????3 ??????1 ??????2 ??????4 ??????1 ? ?????1 ??????3 ??????4 ??????1 ??????5 ??????1 30 players from 13 countries contending to sit on the throne of african football. † Your preliminary nominations for the #CAFAwards2022 Player of the Year ?? pic.twitter.com/FZGiM7ugxP
— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 30, 2022
Haller had a huge share in the successes that Ajax achieved last season. In 31 games in the Eredivisie, the Ivorian international scored 21 goals. In addition, he put in a top performance by scoring eleven times in eight games in his debut season in the Champions League. The striker will most likely leave Ajax this summer for a contract with Borussia Dortmund. Haller had to clear the field in the African Cup in the eighth final. He lost to Egypt on penalties with Ivory Coast.
The nominees for the prize were chosen by a group of former football players, a committee from the CAF and a group of representatives from the media. The ultimate winner of the prize is chosen by the national coaches and captains of the African national teams. Former footballers Yaya Toure and Samuel Eto’o have received the trophy the most, both four times.
Related
More sports news
