Liverpool Stars Join Aubameyang on Final Shortlist for CAF African Football of the Year Award

Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Sadio Mane (Senegal) have each been named on the final three-man shortlist for the CAF African Footballer of the Year award alongside Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon).

Salah, who has already been named BBC African Footballer of the Year, has enjoyed a tremendous 2017 after finishing last season strongly with Roma and scoring 20 goals in his first 26 appearances for Liverpool following a club record move to Anfield.

Mane has similarly enjoyed a very good 12 months, despite suffering a number of injury setbacks. He emerged as one of Liverpool's most important players as a result of his dynamic style, although he has arguably been eclipsed by Salah in recent weeks.

Mane placed third in last year's CAF award, behind Aubameyang and winner Riyad Mahrez.

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Aubameyang won the prestigious award in 2015 and also placed second in 2014. He finished last season as the top scorer in the Bundesliga and has started the 2017/18 season with 21 goals in all competitions as the calendar year draws to a close.

Either Salah or Mane could become only the third Liverpool player to be named African Footballer of the Year by CAF, following in the footsteps of 2002 winner El-Hadji Diouf, who had also received the accolade the previous year while still with Lens in France.

The 2017 winner will be announced at the annual CAF gala in Accra, Ghana on January 4.