Another traditional battle between the former Liverpool stars, Salah and Mane, will happen in Rabat on Thursday when the annual African award winners are announced.
The final list of candidates for the award, announced by the African Football Confederation (CAF) on Wednesday morning, included Salah and Mane, along with Chelsea goalkeeper and Senegalese national team Edouard Mendy.
Mane had a crucial role in leading Senegal in beating Salah's Egyptian team in the final of the African cup of nations 2021 and the qualifying round for the World Cup finals scheduled in Qatar at the end of this year, as well.
The two games were in Cameron and Senegal, where the Teranga Lions won both games. With Mane scoring his two kicks, he enabled his country to win the cup before Salah got his turn in the shooting. Salah also lost his spot-kick in the decisive qualifying round for the Qatar World Cup.
Senegal's victories this year have made Mane more likely to win the award of best player, which he won once in 2019.
If Mane won the award, he will become the first Bayern Munich star to be chosen as the best African footballer.
He was the closest player to german champion Samuel Kufuor in 1999 and 2001 when he finished second.
Mane moved to Bayern last month on a three-year deal from Liverpool, where he joined it in 2016 from Southampton, and he was described by German coach Jürgen Klopp as a " world-class" striker."
"My only criticism of Sadio is that he may sometimes be the only person who doesn't realize how good he is," Klopp said.
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson praised Mane and said: "Whenever he's in front of you in the goal area, you never think he'll miss the chance."
Salah won the award in 2017 and 2018: before Mane raised, in the following year, the number of winners from Liverpool of this award to four after Senegalese Hajji Diouf won the prize in 2002.
a Special season for Salah
The Egyptian star made a great 2021-2022 season with the Reds, sharing the Golden Boot award with Tottenham's South Korean scorer Son Heung-min.
Salah was awarded the English Premier League Player of the Year award by the Professional Footballers' Association and the Football Writers' Association.
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