NIGERIA star Victor Osimhen is among 30 nominees named on Wednesday for the 2022-2023 men’s African Player of the Year award.
The prolific Napoli forward was the leading scorer in Serie A last season with 26 goals and in 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with 10, including four in one match.
Stars from the Morocco squad that made history in Qatar last December by becoming the first World Cup semi-finalists from Africa are also contenders.
They include goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, defender Achraf Hakimi, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, winger Hakim Ziyech and forward Youssef en Nesyri.
Sadio Mane of Senegal and Mohamed Salah of Egypt, both two-time winners of the award, have also been nominated.
Walid Regragui, who took charge of Morocco just a few months before the World Cup, is among 10 nominees for the coach award.
The Club Player of the Year list includes Fiston Mayele from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the joint leading scorer in both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup last season.
CAF technical experts, African football legends and media representatives created the lists for seven categories.
Nominees for the women’s awards will be released later.
The central Moroccan city of Marrakech has been selected to host the awards ceremony on Monday December 11.
Full List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member Association):
Player of the Year (Men)
Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)
Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)
Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)
Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)
Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)
Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)
Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)
Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)
Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)
Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)
Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)
Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)
Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)
Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)
Goalkeeper of the Year (Men)
Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Al Hilal)
Andre Onana (Cameroon and Manchester United)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Al Ahli)
Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
Pape Mamadou Sy (Senegal and Generation Foot)
Landing Badji (Senegal and AS Pikine)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men)
Aymen Mahious (Algeria and USM Alger/Yverdon-Sport)
Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)
Zineddine Belaid (Algeria and USM Alger)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Young Africans/Pyramids)
Makabi Lilepo (DR Congo and Al Hilal/Valenciennes)
Hussein El Shahat (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mostafa Fathi (Egypt and Pyramids)
Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)
Yahia Attiyat Allah (Morocco and Wydad Club Athletic)
Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
Ranga Chivaviro (South Africa and Marumo Gallants/Kaizer Chiefs)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Esperance Sportive de Tunis /Ferencvaros)
Young Player of the Year (Men)
Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Bournemouth)
Souleymane Alio (Burkina Faso and New Stars)
Ernest Nuamah (Ghana & Olympique Lyonnais)
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco and Betis)
Bilal El Khannous (Morocco and Genk)
Gift Orban (Nigeria and KAA Gent)
Lamine Camara (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
Pape Amadou Diallo (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)
Pape Demba Diop (Senegal and Zulte Waregem)
Amara Diouf (Senegal and Generation Foot)
Coach of the Year (Men)
Abdelhak Benchikha (USM Alger)
Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)
Juan Micha Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)
Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)
Baciro Cande (Guinea Bissau)
Amir Abdou (Mauritania)
Walid Regragui (Morocco)
Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique)
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Pape Thiaw (Senegal – CHAN)
National Team of the Year (Men)
Cape Verde
The Gambia
Guinea Bissau
Equatorial Guinea
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Senegal
Tanzania
Club of the Year (Men)
CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
USM Alger (Algeria)
ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)
Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Marumo Gallants (South Africa)
Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)
Young Africans (Tanzania)