Salah set to compete with former Red for POTY award

Mohamed Salah is up against former Liverpool star Sadio Mane for the African Player of the Year award

Mohamed Salah will come up against former Liverpool player Sadio Mane once again during the CAF Awards’ Player of the Year, as per Liverpool Echo. The ceremony is meant to honour the best African players throughout the season. The winner will be announced in Rabat, Morocco, on 21 July.

The two have come up against each other in 2017, 2018, and 2019 as well, with Salah winning twice and Mane in 2019. The African Player of the Year award was also won by ex-Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf in 2002.

It’s a testament to the greatness of the Egyptian and Senegalese players that they’ve been one of the nominees for the past several years. In their time at the Merseyside club, they shared success.

Last season Salah featured in 51 games, scoring 31 goals and providing 16 assists. The Egyptian was on a hot streak before being called up to the national side in January. Fatigue seemed to have taken a toll on his performances a bit after that.

Mane, on the other hand, also played in 51 games, scoring 23 goals, and providing five assists. The Senegalese international mostly played out on the left but was repositioned through the centre by Jurgen Klopp during the second half of the season.

While on paper, the Egyptian King seems to have done more, the Senegalese was equally important for the side as we marched towards an unprecedented quadruple. But it wasn’t to be in the end as we fell short in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Also, Mane got the better of Salah twice this past year. Senegal beat Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties. The Lions of Teranga beat the Pharaohs to lift their first AFCON title.

Egypt and Senegal met once again in March, this time for a place in the Qatar World Cup. Mane once again trumped Salah, winning on penalties.

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It remains to be seen whether winning the tournament back in January gives the Senegalese the upper hand. Mane’s national teammate Edouard Mendy has also been nominated.