Salah Wins 2018 BBC African Footballer Award

Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted BBC African Footballer of the Year for the second time in a row.

The 26-year-old beat Medhi Benatia, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Thomas Partey to the prize.

The Premier League’s player of the year scored 44 goals in 52 games for Liverpool last season.”It’s a great feeling to win again. I’m happy and I would like to win it also next year!” said Salah.

Salah scored twice for Egypt at this year’s World Cup, which took his country to the tournament for the first time since 1990.

The 26-year-old, who beat Medhi Benatia, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Thomas Partey to the award, is the second player after Jay-Jay Okocha to win it two years running.

Yaya Toure is the only other player to have twice won the award in its current form while Nwankwo Kanu won it twice when it was a broader African Sports Personality award.

Earlier in 2018, Salah won the English double — the Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Player of the Year.

Salah also won the 2017 CAF Player of the Year and is one of 10 nominees for the 2018 award which will be announced in January.

Previous winners

2017: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)

2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City & Algeria)

2015: Yaya Toure (Manchester City & Ivory Coast)

2014: Yacine Brahimi (Porto & Algeria)

2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City & Ivory Coast)

2012: Chris Katongo (Henan Construction & Zambia)

2011: Andre Ayew (Marseille & Ghana)

2010: Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland & Ghana)

2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast)

2008: Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly & Egypt)

2007: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal & Togo)

2006: Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana)

2005: Mohamed Barakat (Al Ahly & Egypt)

2004: Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria)

2003: Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria)

2002: El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool & Senegal)

2001: Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich & Ghana)

Source: BBC