- Onyango won the CAF Champions League and PSL with Mamelodi Sundowns
- He also helped Uganda Cranes qualify for Africa Nations Cup in Gabon
As expected, the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) have named Uganda’s first choice goalkeeper on the best XI of the year, 2016.
Onyango, the only representative on the team from the CECAFA regional has had arguably the best year of his glittering career lifting the CAF Champions League, winning the PSL and helped Uganda end a 39 year wait for an appearance at the AFCON finals.
The team has among others, Onyango’s teammates at Mamelodi Sundowns Khama Billiat of Zimbabwe and Keegan Dolly of South Africa.
Other continental based players on the team include defender Joyce Lomalisa of DR Congo and AS Vita as well as Zambia captain Rainford Kalaba who plies his trade with DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
CAF African Player of the Year contenders Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City & Algeria) and Sadio Mane (Liverpool & Senegal) also make the cut in the continent’s finest team.
Notable absentees from the starting eleven include Nigeria and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Islam Sliman of Leicester City and Algeria.
The team is expected to grace the CAF awards ceremony on Thursday January 5, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.
2016 Africa Finest XI
Goalkeeper: Denis ONYANGO (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Defenders: Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire & Paris Saint-Germain), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia & Valencia), Eric BAILLY (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United), Joyce LOMALISA (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Midfielders: Khama BILLIAT (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns), Rainford KALABA (Zambia & TP Mazembe), Keegan DOLLY (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Forwards: Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund), Sadio MANE (Senegal & Liverpool), Riyad MAHREZ (Algeria & Leicester City)
Substitutes
Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli), Salif Coulibaly (Mali & TP Mazembe), Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma), Kelechi IHEANACHO (Nigeria & Manchester City), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria and Arsenal)