Moroccan trio make African Player of Year shortlist as Salah absent

Achraf Hakimi will hope to defend his title of African Footballer of the Year on December 2 as he leads a trio of Moroccan players on the shortlist, which does not feature Egyptian star and former winner Mohamed Salah. Morocco captain Hakimi is joined by Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari on the 10-man shortlist released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last week. The trio led Morocco to a controversial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title in January.

Although Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final , Morocco were subsequently awarded the title after Senegal walked off the pitch over a disputed penalty. A decision on Senegal’s appeal over being stripped of the title will be made ⁠⁠at the end of ⁠⁠November. The three players also helped Morocco reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, where Saibari was the country’s top scorer with three goals while Hakimi scored one.

At the club level, Saibari shone with Bayern Munich after they signed him for a hefty 50-million-euro ($56m) transfer fee this summer while Diaz continued to prove his worth with Real Madrid.