The Algerian footballer Mahrez, was named the African player of the year after he beat Pierre-Emerick of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in a poll of African national team coaches, technical directors and media experts.
Riyad plays for Leicester football club, a team that saw itself take the Premier League trophy last year after a stunning league performance to beat top teams like Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Leicester player received 361 votes, ahead of Aubameyang’s 313 and Mane’s 186 with the result announced at the annual Confederation of African Football (CAF) awards in the Nigerian capital.
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The 25-year-old Mahrez is the third French-born player to win the award, after Frederic Kanoute and Aubameyang, and the third Algerian international since Lakhdar Belloumi in 1981 and Rabah Madjer in 1987. This also marks it as the seventh time a Premier League player wins it after a total of nine years.
Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho was named Africa’s Most Promising Talent and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi Youth Player of the Year at the CAF awards.
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