CAF have announced the nominees for the annual Aiteo CAF Awards earlier today as Ethiopian international Salahdin Said has been nominated in the African Player of the Year – Based in Africa category. The striker is among the 30 players who made it to the cut according to official report from CAF. The award ceremony is slated for January 4, 2018 in Ghana capital Accra.
Saladhin, who piled his tread previously in Egypt, Belgium and Algeria, had netted 7 goals in the 2017 Total CAF Champions League as he helped his club Kidus Giorgis to reach the group stages of the biggest club tournament of the continent. It is for the first time since 2013 that an Ethiopian got nomination in the CAF awards. Getaneh Kebede and Adane Girma were the last two players from Ethiopia to get nominated for the African Player of the Year –Based in Africa back in 2013.
Only four players namely Ali Maaloul, Denis Onyango, Percy Tau and Fackson Kapumbu, who are having a stint in the continent, made it to both African Player of the Year and African Player of the Year – Based in Africa categories. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Naby Kieta, Victor Mosses and AfCON most valuable player gong winner Christian Bassogog are nominated in the African Player of the Year.
According to CAF winners will be decided by votes from the Head Coaches/Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, members of the CAF Technical and Development Committee and a panel of Media Experts.
