<p>Liverpool star Sadio Mane was crowned on Tuesday as Africa's 2019 Player of the Year for the first time at an awards gala in Egypt on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The 27-year old Senegalese striker was up against his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian who won the award the last two years, and Algerian Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City.</p>.<p>"I am really happy and at the same time I am really proud to win this award," said Mane at the ceremony organised by the Confederation of African Football in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada.</p>.<p>"It's a big day for me."</p>.<p>Mane scored 34 goals and produced 12 assists in 61 appearances in 2019, according to CAF statistics.</p>.<p>Neither Salah nor Mahrez, who was playing for Manchester City, attended the CAF's awards gala on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Other male awards went to Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi, Algerian Youcef Belaili for African Interclubs Player of the Year and Algeria's national team.</p>.<p>The award for the youth category was given to Morocco's Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund.</p>.<p>Female awardees included Nigerian Asisat Oshoala, South African coach Desiree Ellis, and Cameroon's women national team.</p>.<p>The Egyptian Football Association also won the Federation of the Year award.</p>
<p>Liverpool star Sadio Mane was crowned on Tuesday as Africa's 2019 Player of the Year for the first time at an awards gala in Egypt on Tuesday.</p>.<p>The 27-year old Senegalese striker was up against his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian who won the award the last two years, and Algerian Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City.</p>.<p>"I am really happy and at the same time I am really proud to win this award," said Mane at the ceremony organised by the Confederation of African Football in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada.</p>.<p>"It's a big day for me."</p>.<p>Mane scored 34 goals and produced 12 assists in 61 appearances in 2019, according to CAF statistics.</p>.<p>Neither Salah nor Mahrez, who was playing for Manchester City, attended the CAF's awards gala on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Other male awards went to Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi, Algerian Youcef Belaili for African Interclubs Player of the Year and Algeria's national team.</p>.<p>The award for the youth category was given to Morocco's Achraf Hakimi of Borussia Dortmund.</p>.<p>Female awardees included Nigerian Asisat Oshoala, South African coach Desiree Ellis, and Cameroon's women national team.</p>.<p>The Egyptian Football Association also won the Federation of the Year award.</p>