The African duo have had their hopes of winning the UEFA Player of the Year award dashed as Europe’s football governing body shortlists Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo yet again.
Neither of Barcelona’s Messi nor Juventus’ Ronaldo made the final of the Champions League, where Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool overcome Tottenham with a 2-0 victory in June.
Yet it is only Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk who has been named alongside the two European powerhouses.
Messi is still in the running after he finished as the top scorer in the Champions League and won the European Golden Shoe en route picking up his tenth La Liga title with Barcelona.
Ronaldo also claimed domestic glory, helping Juventus lift the Serie A title during his maiden season in Italy.
In the final breakdown displayed on UEFA’s website, the Liverpool trio of Alisson Becker, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah claimed fourth, fifth and sixth place respectively.
Then-Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard was seventh; Ajax’s duo of Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong claimed eighth and ninth position; while Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling snuck into the top ten.
England’s Lucy Bronze has been nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year award alongside Lyon team-mates Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry.
The winner will be announced on August 29 during the Champions League draw in Monaco.
African players have always been discriminate when it’s about prizes. We have Eto. Drogba, Yaya Toure, and now Mane, and Salah. It’s time for the African players to boycott all of these European prizes, and dissociate themselves from any kind of theses events because it’s just not fair.
I agree with if sadio mane and Salah were call Manignon and Salahgno i am sure they will be on the final 3 shortlists.