Stunned Mohamed Salah, has been shortlisted for an unusual award

Liverpool's Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, Naples' Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and PSG's Moroccan winger Achraf Hakimi are the three players nominated for the 2023 African Ballon d'Or. This was announced this Thursday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Salah already has two on his record: those from 2017 and 2018.

The name of the winner will be revealed next Monday, December 11 in Marrakech. The winner of the African Ballon d'Or will take over from Sadio Mané, currently at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and who won it in 2022 and 2019.

Osimhen, key in the 'scudetto' won by Naples in 2022-23 (he was top scorer in Serie A with 26 goals) and who with his team reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and Salah, who is returning to his best level at Liverpool, they were the first African players in the classification of the last Ballon d'Or (Osimhen, 8th and Salah, 11th). Said Ballon d'Or went to Leo Messi, the eighth of his career.

Achraf, for his part, was one of the protagonists of Morocco's great performance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar they became the first African team to reach the semifinals of the tournament, in which they lost 2-0 against France. Yassine Bono, goalkeeper from Morocco and currently with Saudi Al-Hilal, is nominated for best goalkeeper, along with André Onana (Manchester United, Cameroon) and Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly / Egypt).

Salah's numbers

The Egyptian has scored 27 goals and provided 16 assists so far this calendar year and his numbers have inspired Liverpool’s Premier League title charge this season. His contributions also earned him a spot in the final three-man shortlist for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award as he faces tough competition from Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Victor Osimhen of Napoli.