African Footballer Of The Year: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah Pips Chelsea Star To Award

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been named the BBC African Footballer of the Year for 2017.

Sahah beat competition from his team-mate Sadio Mane, Chelsea’s Victor Moses, Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Red Bull Leipzig’s Naby Keita to win the prestigious award for the first time.

Very proud to have won this prestigious award for best African player, and joining the ranks of many great players who won it before me.

A post shared by Mohamed Salah (@mosalah22) on Dec 11, 2017 at 3:15pm PST

Salah said: “I would also like to win it next year.

“I have to thank everyone, my team-mates, the people I work with.

“I am very happy here at the club. I had a very good start with the team, and also the manager [Jurgen Klopp].

“Last season I had a good season with Roma, and I have to thank my team-mates in the national team.”

Salah has displayed incredible form since his move to Liverpool in the summer and already has 19 goals to his name for the Merseyside giants in all competitions.

The former Roma winger played a pivotal role in guiding Egypt to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Salah scored five of the seven goals in Egypt’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Egyptian scored a late strike against Congo in October to make sure that his country qualified for their first ever World Cup in over a quarter of a century.

Mo and Jürgen’s delight at Salah being named the BBC African Footballer of the Year! ? pic.twitter.com/Ks3BB1Nbi3

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 11, 2017

Salah is now the third consecutive Premier League star to win the prolific award.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure won it in 2015, before Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City last year.

Salah’s fellow team-mate Sadio Mane emerged as the runner-up while Aubameyang finished third following another successful season with the Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea’s Moses finished fourth and Leipzig’s Keita came fifth.