The top five which were decided by votes from the members of the Caf Media Committee, Caf Technical & Development Committee and half of the 20-member panel of experts, include Borussia Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Algerians Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani who play for English champions Leicester City, Senegal and Liverpool forward Sadio Mane and AS Roma’s Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah.
Aubameyang won the award for 2015 after a sizzling start to the previous season for the Bundesliga club, but he faces stiff competition from English Premier League winning winger Mahrez as well as Mane and Slimani, who impressed for both club and country last season, which earned them big-money transfers to top European clubs.
For the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa), the top five are; Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns & Zimbabwe), Keegan Dolly (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa), Rainford Kalaba (TP Mazembe & Zambia), Hlompho Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa) and Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns & Uganda)
Votes from the national team coaches or technical directors of the Confederation of African Football’s 54 members, plus a specially appointed panel of 10 experts, will determine the winner.
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The three finalists will be named in December before the award ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria on Jan. 5.