Premier League golden boot winners Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are among the 30 nominees for the prestigious 2019 African Player of the Year award.
The trio headline the shortlist after they each netted 22 goals in the 2018/19 season, ensuring the top-scorer award would be split for the first time since the 2010-11 season – and the first time since 1999 it would be split three ways.
Aubameyang has started the 2019/20 campaign with eight goals in 13 appearances for the Gunners, while 21 goals between the Liverpool duo put each in with a strong chance of lifting the award, currently held by Salah.
The Anfield pair join teammate Naby Keita, who makes the cut despite a difficult start to life in England, while Aubameyang has an Arsenal teammate in Nicolas Pepe, whose goalscoring heroics with Lille earned him a £72m move to the Premier League.
Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, Leicester’s Wilfried Ndidi, Aston Villa’s Trezeguet and Crystal Palace duo Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew round out the Premier League representation, while French champions PSG have two nominees in Idrissa Gueye and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Ajax keeper Andre Onana continues his steady rise to the top with a place on the shortlist, as does domestic teammate Hakim Ziyech, while Atletico’s Thomas Partey is the sole representative from La Liga.
Below is the entire list of nominees for the award, which will be handed on on 7th January 2020, at the CAF’s award ceremony in Hurghada, Egypt.
| Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund) | Andre Onana (Ajax) |
| Baghdad Bounedjah (Al-Sadd) | Carlous Andriamatsinoro (Al-Adalah) |
| Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (PSG) | Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns) |
| Ferjani Sassi (Zamalek) | Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Al Ain) |
| Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) | Idrissa Gueye (PSG) |
| Ismail Bennacer (AC Milan) | Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) |
| Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) | Trezeguet (Aston Villa) |
| Mbwana Samatta (Genk) | Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) |
| Moussa Marega (Porto) | Naby Keita (Liverpool) |
| Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal) | Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua) |
| Percy Tau (Club Brugge) | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) |
| Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) | Sadio Mane (Liverpool) |
| Taha Yassine Khenissi (ES de Tunis) | Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid) |
| Victor Osmihen (Lille) | Wilfried Ndidi (Leicester) |
| Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) | Youcef Belaili (Al-Ahli) |