Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango has been nominated for the overall African Player of the Year award, while Banyana Banyana and their star midfielder Thembi Kgatlana have also been nominated for Caf awards.
Banyana’s triumph at the Cosafa Women’s Championship saw them short-listed for the Women’s Team of the Year, while striker Kgatlana was at the heart of that campaign and was chosen as the Player of the Tournament.
Despite Masandawana going out of the Caf Champions League at the quarter-final stage, Onyango has been a rock in goal for Pitso Mosimane’s team.
Now he will go up against the likes of Liverpool stars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané, Victor Moses of Nigeria and Chelsea, as well as Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund for the main Player of the Year award.
But there is another South African connection who has been nominated, with SuperSport United striker Jeremy Brockie named on the list for African Player of the Year of those based in Africa.
New Zealander Brockie was the leading scorer in the Caf Confederation Cup with 10 goals.
Onyango is on that list as well, which includes two players from Caf Champions League winners Wydad Casablanca.
African player of the Year award nominees #AiteoCAFawards2017 pic.twitter.com/EpFfya9kNy
— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 27, 2017
SuperSport United was also recognised for their run all the way to the Confederation Cup final by being nominated for Team of the Year.
The awards function will take place on January 4 in Accra, Ghana.
African Player of the Year
1 Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Olympique Lyon)
2 Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
3 Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
4 Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
5 Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
6 Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
7 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & B. Dortmund)
8 Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
9 Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
10 Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
11 Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Player of the Year (Based in Africa)
1 Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
2 Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
3 Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
4 Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & El Masry)
5 Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
6 Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
7 Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
8 Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
9 Mohamed Ounnajem (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
10 Taha Yassine Khenisssi (Tunisia & Esperance)
Women’s Player of the Year
1 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)
2 Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)
3 Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene (Cameroon & CSKA Moscow)
4 Rutendo Makore (Zimbabwe & Black Rhinos)
5 Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Kvarnsvedens)
@ashfakmohamed