Salah, Mane, Ndidi, Osimhen, nominated for African Player of the Year award (Full list)

Mohamed Salah is on course for a third consecutive African Player of the Year trophy after being named on the preliminary list of nominees for the 2019 award.

Salah defended his crown last year after scoring 44 goals for Liverpool and Egypt in 2018 and finishing as the 2017-18 Premier League Golden Boot winner with 32 goals.

The 27-year-old faces competition for this year’s honor from Reds team-mate Sadio Mane.

The Senegal international was joint top scorer in the Premier League last season with 22 goals alongside Salah and is joined by fellow Liverpool player Naby Keita.

Super eagles stars Wilfred Ndidi , Victor Osimhen and Odion Ighalo also made the 30 man shortlist.

The shortlist will be narrowed down to three players later this year before the winner is announced at the ceremony in Egypt on January 7, 2020.

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MEN’S AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Borussia Dortmund)

André Onana (Cameroon & Ajax)

Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria& Al-Sadd)

Carolus Andriamatsinoro (Madagascar & Al Adalah)

Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon & Paris Saint- Germain)

Ferjani Sassi (Tunisia & Zamalek)

Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)

Idrissa Gueye (Senegal & Paris Saint-Germain)

Ismail Bennacer (Algeria & AC Milan)

Jordan Ayew (Ghana & Crystal Palace)

Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)

Kodjo Fo Doh Laba (Togo & Al Ain)

Mahmoud Hassan”Trezeguet” (Egypt & Aston Villa)

Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)

Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)

Nicolas Pepe (Côte d’Ivoire & Arsenal)

Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Shanghai Shenhua)

Percy Tau (South Africa & Club Brugge)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal)

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

Taha Yassine Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)

Thomas Teye Partey (Ghana & Atlético Madrid)

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Lille)

Wilfred Ndidi (Nigeria & Leicester City)

Wilfried Zaha (Côte d’Ivoire & Crystal Palace)

Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Ahli Jeddah)