Moroccan trio make African Player of Year shortlist as Salah absent

Wednesday, 11 November 2026 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Achraf Hakimi

Achraf Hakimi will hope to defend his title of African Footballer of the Year on December 2 as he leads a trio of Moroccan players on the shortlist, which does not feature Egyptian star and former winner Mohamed Salah.

Morocco Captain Hakimi is joined by Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari on the 10-man shortlist released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last week.

The trio led Morocco to a controversial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in January. Although Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final, Morocco were subsequently awarded the title after Senegal walked off the pitch over a disputed penalty. A decision on Senegal’s appeal over being stripped of the title will be made at the end of November.

The three players also helped Morocco reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, where Saibari was the country’s top scorer with three goals while Hakimi scored one.

Salah’s absence from the list has raised eyebrows because the Egyptian forward is widely recognised as a generational talent and one of Africa’s top players. The former Liverpool star, now with the Turkish side Trabzonspor, took home the award in 2017 and 2018. Mane won the subsequent two awards.