The three nominees for the Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Algeria's Riyad Mahrez and Senegal's Sadio Mane have been included in the African Team of the Year for 2016, Completesportsnigeria.com reports. The Confederation of African Football announced the African XI on their website on Wednesday ahead of Thursday night's Glo-CAF Awards in Abuja. All three stars are named as the forwards of Africa's Finest XI, while Uganda and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Oyango is the goalkeeper.
In defence are Ivory Coast and Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly; Aymen Abdenour of Tunisia and Valencia; Joyce Lomalisa of DR Congo and AS Vita; and Serge Aurier of Ivory Coast and Paris Saint Germain. Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe and Mamelodi Sundowns, Rainford Kalaba of Zambia and TP Mazembe and Keegan Dolly of South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns make up the midfield. While there are no Nigerians in the African XI, Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City and Alex Iwobi of Arsenal were considered good enough as substitutes alongside the likes of Algeria and Leicester City's Islam Slimani, Egypt and AS Roma's Mohamed Salah and Kalidou Coulibaly of Senegal and Napoli.
All the nominees:
African Player of the Year
Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)
Riyad MAHREZ (Algeria & Leicester City)
Sadio MANE (Senegal & Liverpool)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa
Denis ONYANGO (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Khama BILLIAT (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Rainford KALABA (Zambia & TP Mazembe)
Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat OSHOALA (Nigeria & Arsenal Ladies)
Elizabeth ADDO (Ghana & Kvarnsvedensik)
Gabrielle ABOUDI ONGUENE (Cameroon & Rossyanka)
Most Promising Talent
Elia MESCHAK (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
Kelechi IHEANACHO (Nigeria & Manchester City)
Naby KEITA (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
Youth Player of the Year
Alex IWOBI (Nigeria and Arsenal)
Eric AYIAH (Ghana and Charity FC)
Sandra OWUSU-ANSAH (Ghana and Supreme Ladies)
Coach of the Year
Florent IBENGE (DR Congo national team)
Pitso MOSIMANE (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Florence OMAGBEMI (Nigeria women’s national team)
Club of the Year
Mamelodi Sundowns
TP Mazembe
Zesco United
National Team of the Year
DR Congo
Senegal
Uganda
Women’s National Team of the Year
Cameroon
Nigeria
South Africa
Referee of the Year
Bakary Papa GASSAMA
Ghead Zaglol GRISHA
Malang DIEDHIOU
Football Leader of the Year
Manuel LOPES NASCIMENTO, President of Guinea Bissau Football Federation
Legend Award
Laurent POKOU, Former player of Cote d’Ivoire
Emilienne MBANGO, Former player of Cameroon
Africa Finest XI
Goalkeeper: Denis ONYANGO (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire & Paris Saint-Germain), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia & Valencia), Eric BAILLY (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United), Joyce LOMALISA (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Midfielders: Khama BILLIAT (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns), Rainford KALABA (Zambia & TP Mazembe), Keegan DOLLY (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns),
Forwards: Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund), Sadio MANE (Senegal & Liverpool), Riyad MAHREZ (Algeria & Leicester City)
Substitutes
Aymen MATHLOUTHI (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel), Kalidou KOULIBALY (Senegal & Napoli), Salif COULIBALY (Mali & TP Mazembe), Islam SLIMANI (Algeria & Leicester City), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma), Kelechi IHEANACHO (Nigeria & Manchester City), Alex IWOBI (Nigeria and Arsenal)
