Salah, Mane shortlisted for CAF Player of the Year award

FILE PHOTO: Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad Ahmad (L) poses after he handed over the 2018 African Footballer of the Year Award to Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah (C) past Liberian President George Weah during an award ceremony in Dakar on January 8, 2019. /Getty Images

Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have been named on the 10-man shortlist for the coveted CAF African Player of the Year award.

The two topped the last two awards, with Salah emerging top on both occasions as Mane placed second.

CAF announced the shortlist on Wednesday, unveiling a talented pool of players that made a huge impact in the continent's football over the past year.

Other than the Liverpool duo, other players who made the cut include three of Algeria's AFCON winning team: Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, AC Milan midfielder Ismail Bennacer and winger Youcef Belaili.

Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who lifted the crown in 2015, has also been included in the list.

The other players are; Andre Onana (AFC Ajax, Cameroon), Hakim Ziyech (AFC Ajax, Morocco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Crystal Palace, Senegal) and Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, Nigeria).

The winner of the award will be announced at CAF's annual football awards which will take place on Tuesday, 7 January 2020, at Albatros Citadel Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada, Egypt.

Source(s): CAF