Tanzania striker Mbwana Ally Samatta became the first player from East Africa to be crowned the CAF African Player of the Year based on the continent.
The forward who plies his trade with DR Congo and African Champions TP Mazembe garnered a total of 127 points, ahead of his TP Mazembe teammate and DR Congo goalkeeper Robert Muteba Kidiaba, who amassed 88 points. Algerian Baghdad Bounedjah trailed in third place with 63 points.
Samatta was a key figure as TP Mazembe won last year’s CAF Champions League crown scoring seven goals in the process and finished as the competition’s top scorer.
He scored in the semi-finals return match against Sudan’s El Merrick as well in both legs in the finals.
The player linked with a move to Greece was also the only East African named in the team of the Year.
He was crowned at the Glo-CAF Award gala held on Thursday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.
On the same day, Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was named the overall player of the year beating favourites Yaya Toure and Andre Ayew.
The 26 year old polled 143 points; seven better than Toure while Ayew finished third with 112 points to become the first man from his country to scoop the award.
FULL WINNERS
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)
AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR – BASED IN AFRICA – Mbwana Aly SAMATTA
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Gaelle ENGANAMOUIT (Cameroon)
YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
MOST PROMISING TALENT OF THE YEAR – Etebo Peter OGHENEKARO (Nigeria)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Herve RENARD (France) – Former Coach of Cote d’Ivoire
REFEREE OF THE YEAR – Bakary Papa GASSAMA (Gambia)
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR – Cote d’Ivoire
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR – Cameroon
CLUB OF THE YEAR – TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
LEADER OF THE YEAR – Abdiqani Said Arab (Somalia)
FAIR PLAY AWARD – Allez Casa Supporters Group (Senegal)
AFRICAN LEGEND
Charles Kumi GYAMFI (Ghana)
Samuel MBAPPE LEPPE (Cameroon)
AFRICA FINEST XI
Goalkeeper: Robert Muteba KIDIABA (DR Congo)
Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia), Mohamed MEFTAH (Algeria)
Midfielders: Andre AYEW (Ghana), Yaya TOURE (Cote d’Ivoire), Sadio MANE (Senegal), Yacine BRAHIMI (Algeria),
Forwards: Mbwana Aly SAMATTA (Tanzania), Pierre-Emerrick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon), Baghdad BOUNEDJAH (Algeria)
Substitutes
Djigui DIARRA (Mali)
Azubuike OKECHUKWU (Nigeria)
Kelechi NWAKALI (Nigeria)
Zinedine FERHAT (Algeria)
Adama TRAORE (Mali)
Victor OSIMHEN (Nigeria)
Kermit ERASMUS (South Africa)