Following an incredible goal-filled start to the 2015/16 Bundesliga campaign, Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been named the Confederation of African Football’s Player of the Year.
Voted for by African national team managers, the Gabonese hitman racked up 143 points, seven more than runner-up Yaya Touré. Swansea attacker Andre Ayew came third with 112 points.
The 26-year-old former AC Milan starlet, who is the first ever player from Gabon to win the prize, banged in a superb 18 goals in 17 games for Dortmund in the first half of the Bundesliga season, form which has seen him linked with a whopping €60million move to Arsenal this month. However, one doubts whether Arsene Wenger will open his wallet quite that far (although he’d certainly form a mighty fine attacking unit alongside Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez).
Along with Aubameyang, chiselled hunk of Franco-love Herve Renard picked up the Coach of the Year award after leading Ivory Coast to their Africa Cup of Nations win back in February.
Here’s the full list of winners…
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – BASED IN AFRICA – Mbwana Aly SAMATTA
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Gaelle ENGANAMOUIT (Cameroon)
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
MOST PROMISING TALENT OF THE YEAR – Etebo Peter OGHENEKARO (Nigeria)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Herve RENARD (France) – Former Coach of Cote d’Ivoire
REFEREE OF THE YEAR – Bakary Papa GASSAMA (Gambia)
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR – Cote d’Ivoire
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR – Cameroon
CLUB OF THE YEAR – TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
AFRICAN LEGEND
Charles Kumi GYAMFI (Ghana)
Samuel MBAPPE LEPPE (Cameroon)
While the Team of the Year is more than a little bit tasty…
AFRICA FINEST XI
Goalkeeper: Robert Muteba KIDIABA (DR Congo)
Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia), Mohamed MEFTAH (Algeria)
Midfielders: Andre AYEW (Ghana), Yaya TOURE (Cote d’Ivoire), Sadio MANE (Senegal), Yacine BRAHIMI (Algeria),
Forwards: Mbwana Aly SAMATTA (Tanzania), Pierre-Emerrick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon), Baghdad BOUNEDJAH (Algeria)
Substitutes
Djigui DIARRA (Mali)
Azubuike OKECHUKWU (Nigeria)
Kelechi NWAKALI (Nigeria)
Zinedine FERHAT (Algeria)
Adama TRAORE (Mali)
Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
Kermit ERASMUS (South Africa)