Mohamed Salah wins the BBC Africa Footballer of the Year Award | VIDEO

Egypt and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah won on Monday the BBC African Footballer of the Year for 2017, beating off fierce competition from Senegalese Sadio Mane and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“I am very happy to win this award, and you feel like you had a great year, so I’m very happy. I would also like to win it next year!” Salah told the BBC on Monday.

Salah produced a string of strong displays throughout the year with Italian club Roma and Premier League side Liverpool.

After a successful spell at Roma, the international ace completed his move to Liverpool for a fee of 42 million euros ($46.5 million) last summer .

He has hit the headlines in England, scoring 19 goals in 24 appearances on all fronts with Liverpool so far. He’s currently the Premier League top scorer with a 13-goal tally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxKXnzqkF4E

Salah was instrumental in Egypt’s successful campaign in the World Cup qualifiers, which saw the Pharaohs reach the football’s most prestigious showpiece for the first time since 1990.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jplw-cxKhc

The 25-year-old also helped Egypt qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations’ final in February 2017.

Salah is among the candidates for the CAF 2017 African player of the year award. The Awards Gala will be held in Accra on 4 January, 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azSwIVOYPAk

Former Egypt stars Mohamed Barakat and Mohamed Abou-Treika, who both played for Cairo giants Ahly, won the BBC award in 2005 and 2008 respectively.

The BBC award started in 1992 when Ghanaian forward Abedi Pele was the first winner.

The format has evolved and now a shortlist of five players is announced following a poll of football journalists in Africa – after which a public vote decides the best for that year.

Guinea’s Naby Keita and Victor Moses of Nigeria were also nominated for the award this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALNiZ6-UM0