African Player of the Year: Diouf back up, names who wins award

Former Senegal footballer, El Hadji Diouf, supports his national, Sadio Mane, to win the 2019 African Player of the Year award.

The Sadio Mane has appeared three times before on the final list, but has never won the award.

The continent’s best footballer will be crowned in Hurghada, Egypt on Tuesday. Mane  is ready to win together with his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah and Algeria captain Riyad Mahre.

Salah has got the ‘Africa’s best footballer’ in the past two years with Mane in second position on both occasions, while Mahrez was named the winner in 2016, a year when Mane was the third-best, expecting Mane to finish first this time around.

Speaking to Senegal Press Agency, Diouf said: “I am a thousand per cent convinced of the coronation of Sadio [Mane].

“Sadio Mane has had a successful season to claim the title of best African footballer [award]. I am very proud of what he did and if it was up to me, a Senegalese will win the title.”