CAF Awards: Oshoala wins record fifth as Mane beats Salah again

Nigerian Asisat Oshoala and Senegalese star Sadio Mane became the winners of the female and male CAF Player of the Year categories.

While Thursday's feat is just a second triumph for Mane, it is a record fifth accolade for Oshoala, who despite battling injuries throughout the season, was still able to prove her courage as the best in Africa.

Oshoala was brilliant for Barcelona last season, helping his side win a clean sheet of the league.

Despite missing weeks of action due to injury, Oshoala became the top scorer in the Spanish women's league as they clinched the golden boot after scoring 24 La Liga Femeni goals.

For this latest award, Oshoala faced fierce opposition from Cameroon's Ajara Nchout Njoya and Zambia's Grace Chanda to become the first ever woman to win the Player of the Year award five times.

Before, Oshoala was tied at four with compatriot and women's game veteran Perpertua Nwokocha.

Oshoala has made an early exit from the current Women's Africa Cup of Nations after picking up another injury in the first group game against South Africa's Bayana Bayana.

In the men's category, Mane retained the CAF Men's Player of the Year award after beating compatriot Edouard Mendy and former Liverpool team-mate Mohammed Salah to the continent's most prestigious individual honor .

Mane, who won the top prize in its last edition in 2019, successfully retained it in the 2022 edition which took place on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco.

Now with German club Bayern Munich, Mane has always been a key member of his former club, Liverpool, as well as the Senegal national team which he helped win their first title in the African Cup of Nations after many years of vain attempts.

Mane was player of the tournament at AFCON 2020, scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout against Egypt as the Teranga Lions won their first crown.

That decisive penalty capped a great tournament in which Mane scored five goals/assists en route to the final.

In the World Cup qualifier - against Egypt again - Mane got the better of his Liverpool team-mate, once again scoring the decisive spot-kick as Senegal made sure he would be one of five African teams at Qatar 2022.

In some of the other categories, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC, who won the inaugural edition of the CAF Women's Champions League, were voted winners in the Women's Club of the Year category,

Moroccan outfit Wydad AC won the club of the year award for the second time in a row in the men's category.

For Men's Coach of the Year, Senegal's Aliou Cissé, who guided the Teranga Lions to their first ever AFCON title, was predictably elected ahead of the former coach Egyptian Carlos Quieroz and Walid Regragui from Wydad.

For Coach of the Year in the women's category, Desiree Ellis with her giant strides with South African Bayana Bayana was voted winner once again.

Player of the Year (Women)

Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Internazionale Milano)

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona) WINNER

Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)

Player of the Year (Men)

Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Bayern Munich) WINNER

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

Andile Dlamini (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Bambanani Mbanie (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes) WINNER

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

Achraf Dari (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)

Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly) WINNER

Young Player of the Year (Women)

Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies)

Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes) WINNER

Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne

Young Player of the Year (Men)

Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)

Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast & ASEC/RB Salzburg)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham Hotspur) WINNER

Coach...