Nigerian trio, Odion Ighalo, Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Osimhen have been nominated for the 2019 African Player Of The Year Award which winner will emerge at the 2019 CAF Awards ceremony.
Ighalo, who has retired from international football was top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with five goals.
Ndidi, who made his 100th Premier League appearance for Leicester City on Saturday has enjoyed a fine season with Foxes with two goals in 12 games.
Young forward, Victor Osimhen who has been courted by a number of European big guns has enjoyed a great start to his career at French club, Lille where he has scored seven goals in 13 league appearances.
They will compete with the likes of Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Senegal forward, Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon, Ghana’s Thomas Partey amongst others for the ultimate prize.
In the Women’s category, talented Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chimaka Nnadozie has been nominated for the first time alongside her teammate, Asisat Oshoala who plays for Spanish Liga Iberdola outfit, Barcelona.
Cameroon forwards, Ajara Nchout and Gabrielle Ouguene, Ghana’s Elizabeth Addo, Refiloe Jane of South Africa and Tabitha Chawinga of Malawi are the other nominees in the category.
In the youth player of the year category of the 2019 CAF Awards, Villarreal winger Samuel Chukuweze and Victor Osimhen will go head-to-head with other exciting talents on the continent.
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Patson Daka of Zambia, Senegalese duo of Ismaila Sarr and Kreppin Diata as well as Amadou Haidara amongst others are nominated for the award.
For the men’s coach of the year award, Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has been nominated along with other top national team coaches.
Rohr however has a strong list to contend with at the 2019 CAF Awards; the likes of Teranga Lions of Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse, Djamel Belmadi, the AFCON 2019 winning coach with Algeria, Madagascar coach Nicolas Dupuis and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa gaffer, Pitso Mosimane.
The other coaches are; Christain Gross, Corentin Martins, Faouzi Benzarti, Moine Chabbani and Mounir Jaouni.
Six coaches are nominated in the women’s coach of the year category with former Super Falcons gaffer Thomas Dennerby among the top contenders.
Indomitable Lioness head coach, Alan Djeumfa, David Ouma who is the Kenyan national team head coach, Bruce Nwepe of Malawi; Banyana Banyana of South Africa handler, Desire Ellis and Cote d’l voire coach Clements Toure.
The 2019 CAF Awards for footballers and officials who have excelled in the year will take place in Egypt on January 7, 2020.
