There are strong claims all around, and a strong political debate as a thought-provoking subtext, as the Caf Awards take place on Tuesday
On Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football will host a swanky gala in egypt, the highlight of which will be the announcement of their choice for African Footballer of the Year.
A needlessly bloated initial long list has now been whittled down to a very manageable three, all of whom have a strong enough claim under any consideration. Although it is widely expected that Senegal forward Sadio Mane will be crowned for the first time, Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Salah have shared the last three gongs, and come into this year’s edition on the back of pretty strong years in their own right.
Salah of course shares almost all of the highs that have so elevated Mane; liverpool’s sixth champions league title owed much to the combined offensive firepower of that duo plus Roberto Firmino, even as, for the first time, the concept of a sibling rivalry entered into the conversation.