The Bayern Munich star wins the prestigious award for the second time in his career.
Sadio Mane claimed the 2022 African Player of the Year award on Thursday.
The Senegalese star defeated his former teammate Mohamed Salah and Edouard Mendy in the race to claim the continental award.
Mane spent an incredible final season at Liverpool, scoring 16 goals and providing four assists in his 34 league appearances for the Reds.
In addition to being a key player in Liverpool’s quadruple push, Mane captained Senegal to their first-ever AFCON title in February.
Senegal then secured their place in this year’s World Cup by beating Egypt in a tense qualifier in March.
Mane, who has recently joined Bayern Munich, celebrates back-to-back African Player of the Year awards. CAF had not handed out the award since 2019, when Mane claimed his first prize.
By winning this year’s award, Mane joins an elite group of African stars who have claimed the African Player of the Year more than once.
Mane’s former Liverpool teammate, Mohamed Salah, has won the award twice. That’s a similar record to El Hadji Diouf, Nwanku Kanu, Roger Milla, and Didier Drogba, who have also claimed the prize two times in their respective careers.
George Weah, who is the only African player who has won the Ballon d’Or, has three African Player of the Year awards to his name, which puts him on par with Ghana great Abedi Pele.
The list ends with Yaya Toure and Samuel Eto’o, who have claimed the prize four times each.
Let’s see if Mane’s recent move to Bayern Munich would help him move higher on the list in the future.
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