Shock omissions as African Player of the Year nominees named

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·24 October 2024

Shock omissions as African Player of the Year nominees named

The African Player of the Year nominees have been revealed and there some big names missing from the final shortlist.

There’s no place for Mohamed Salah, who won the award in 2017 and 2018 and has featured in the top three of the voting in each of the last five editions.

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Salah scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions for Liverpool last season, though a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations – in which the Egyptian sustained a hamstring injury – has contributed to his omission.

Victor Osimhen, who won the award last year, is also absent from the nominees, as is Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface. The latter helped Leverkusen to Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal success last season and was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Season.

In response to his omission, Boniface took to social media, writing on X: “Rookie of the season, Team of the season. No worries, I no play AFCON. Na why I dey wait for memes d’or.”

Boniface’s teammate, Edmond Tapsoba, is named on the final 10-player shortlist. Serhou Guirassy, who finished as runner-up to Harry Kane for the European Golden Shoe, is in contention for the prize, with Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman also a frontrunner. The Nigerian scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final as Atalanta won the competition last season.