Mohamed Salah wins 2018 BBC African Footballer of the year

Mohamed Salah has been announced as the BBC African Footballer of the Year for the year 2018.

The Liverpool forward won the prize ahead of club teammate Sadio Mane, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Ghana’s Thomas Partey, and Morocco’s Medhi Benatia.

Salah, 26, won the award last year and is the first player since Nigeria’s Jay-Jay Okocha to win the award in consecutive years.

“It’s a great feeling to win again. I’m happy and I would like to win it also next year!” Salah told BBC.

The Egyptian won the PFA award last season as he scored 44 goals in 52 games for his club. Salah was instrumental in Liverpool’s journey to the final of the Champions League in 2018. For his country, his goals ensured they got to the World Cup for the first time since 1990.

Listing his stand out moments with the club in 2018, the Liverpool forward said, “The game against Roma at Anfield [Champions League semi-final first leg] was unbelievable. I’m scoring goals and helping the team to get the points to be top of the league. That’s always a great feeling.”

While the previous season was littered with individual awards for his exploits with Liverpool, Salah hopes “to win something with the club so everyone is excited”.

“I try to push myself every day to help the team win something,” he stated.