“Unexpected Omission: Mohamed Salah Excluded from Finalists for Prestigious Award He’s Won Twice”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the finalists for the African Player of the Year award, and notably absent from the list is Mohamed Salah of Liverpool.
The Egyptian star, a two-time winner of the award in 2017 and 2018, remains a key figure in world football. At 32, Salah continues to perform at the highest level, with fans eagerly hoping for a contract extension that will keep him at Liverpool.
In the 2023/24 season, Salah contributed 25 goals and 14 assists in 44 appearances, helping Liverpool secure the Carabao Cup. This season, he’s raised his game even further, notching 16 goals and 12 assists in just 22 matches, reinforcing his place among the best players in the world.
Despite these remarkable performances, Salah’s absence from the finalists has left many puzzled. The candidates for the award—Simon Adingra, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi, Ademola Lookman, and Ronwen Williams—each had strong seasons, but Salah’s exclusion remains a point of contention, as noted by Fabrizio Romano.
One possible explanation for his omission could be Liverpool’s lack of major trophies last season, apart from their Carabao Cup victory. In contrast, Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick in the Europa League final helped Atalanta secure their first-ever European title, and Simon Adingra impressed in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The frontrunner for the award is Serhou Guirassy, who had an outstanding 2023/24 season with Stuttgart, scoring 30 goals and providing three assists in 30 matches, helping his team achieve a remarkable second-place finish in the Bundesliga.
