As the race for African Player of the Year and Player of the Year (Based in Africa) is gradually gathering momentum with the announcement of the shortlisted players for the two categories.
Eleven (11) players made the cut for the Player of the Year and Ten (10) for the Player of the Year (Based in Africa) after votes from members of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, CAF Media Experts Panel and Independent Media and TV Consultants, from the initial 30-man list.
For the first time, captains of the senior men’s national teams of the affiliated National Associations will also take part in the decision-making process of the African Player of the Year and Player of the Year (Based in Africa) during the second phase to determine who wins. The Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, 4 January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.
African Player of the Year (alphabetical order)
- Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Olympique Lyon)
- Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
- Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
- Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & B. Dortmund)
- Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
- Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
- Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
- Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Player of the Year (Based in Africa)
- Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
- Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
- Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & El Masry)
- Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
- Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
- Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
- Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
- Taha Yassine Khenisssi (Tunisia & Esperance)
