Mahrez, Salah among African Player of the Year Contenders

Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah waves during a training session at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on July 11, 2022, a day before an exhibition football match in the Thai capital against English Premier League rival Manchester United. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah waves during a training session at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on July 11, 2022, a day before an exhibition football match in the Thai capital against English Premier League rival Manchester United. (AFP)
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Mahrez, Salah among African Player of the Year Contenders

Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah waves during a training session at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on July 11, 2022, a day before an exhibition football match in the Thai capital against English Premier League rival Manchester United. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah waves during a training session at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on July 11, 2022, a day before an exhibition football match in the Thai capital against English Premier League rival Manchester United. (AFP)

Former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are among 10 stars shortlisted for the 2022 African Player of the Year award, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Monday.

Salah won the award in 2017 and 2018 and Mane in 2019. The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mane moved to Bayern Munich last month while Salah signed an extension to his contract at Anfield.

Playing key roles as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time this year and qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could give Mane the edge over Salah.

Another contender is 2016 African Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, the Algeria captain and Manchester City winger.

Senegal and Chelsea shot-stopper Edouard Mendy is hoping to become the first goalkeeper to lift the trophy since Moroccan Ezzaki Badou in 1986.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Rabat on July 21 after the captains and coaches of African national teams, CAF technical committee members and selected media vote.

African Player of the Year nominees:

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Manchester City/ENG), Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon, Lyon/FRA), Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon, Al Nassr/KSA), Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast, Borussia Dortmund/GER), Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool/ENG), Naby Keita (Guinea, Liverpool/EGY), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Edouard Mendy (Senegal, Chelsea/ENG), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal, Napoli/ITA), Sadio Mane (Senegal, Bayern Munich/GER)



Bellingham Leads Madrid Past Mallorca to Set Up a Spanish Super Cup Final Against Barcelona

Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Semi Final - Real Madrid v RCD Mallorca - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 9, 2025 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Semi Final - Real Madrid v RCD Mallorca - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 9, 2025 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
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Bellingham Leads Madrid Past Mallorca to Set Up a Spanish Super Cup Final Against Barcelona

Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Semi Final - Real Madrid v RCD Mallorca - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 9, 2025 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Semi Final - Real Madrid v RCD Mallorca - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 9, 2025 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

Jude Bellingham scored again to lead Real Madrid into the Spanish Super Cup final with a 3-0 win over Mallorca in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The England midfielder, who led Madrid in scoring last season, started this campaign slowly but has netted seven goals in his last eight Spanish league games, The Associated Press reported.
He notched another goal in 63rd minute of the Super Cup semifinal when he finally broke down a tough Mallorca that until his goal had imposed its defensive style on the star-studded Madrid.
Bellingham blasted in the third shot in a row by Madrid after Rodrygo initially hit the post and goalkeeper Dominik Greif blocked a follow-up by Kylian Mbappé. Bellingham collected the rebound and slotted his shot from just outside the six-yard box under the on-rushing Greif and past three defenders who were trying to protect the goalmouth.
Madrid tacked on two goals late in stoppage time. Mallorca's Martin Valjent scored an own goal when he inadvertently turned a pass by Brahim Díaz into his net. Rodrygo then took Madrid's third.
The match ended with a short scuffle after the final whistle before calm was restored. It started when Bellingham slapped the back of the neck of Mallorca defender Pablo Maffeo, who had had an intense duel with Vinícius Júnior during the game.
Barcelona awaits Madrid in Sunday’s final.
Madrid lost Aurélien Tchouaméni, a midfielder playing as a central defender, in the 54th after he took a hard knock to the head during a collision with a Mallorca player. Youth player Raúl Asencio replaced him.
Madrid was competing as last season’s Spanish league champion, while Mallorca was invited as the runner-up in the Copa del Rey.
Former Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who now plays in the Saudi Arabian league, was in attendance.