2023-11-14 12:07:06
After his historic hat-trick with Manchester City last year, Algerian Riyad Mahrez declared, in an interview for L’Equipe this Tuesday, that he “logically” deserves the trophy for the best African player which will be awarded on December 11 in Marrakech.
Osimhen, Bounou, Hakimi… Who will succeed Sadio Mané for the title of best African player of the year? For Riyad Mahrez, interviewed this Tuesday by the newspaper L’Equipe, “logic” would dictate that it is he who will be rewarded on December 11 in Marrakech.
Author of the “historic treble with City”, winning the Premier League, Champions League, Fa Cup, and with a total of 20 goals and 15 assists in the year, selection included, the Algerian international believes he is the big favorite to win the 2023 African Golden Ball. The winger of the Saudi club Al Ahli thus ignores Morocco’s historic epic in the World Cup or the extraordinary season of the Nigerian Osimhen, the first African top scorer in Serie A.
“Bounou? His Europa League is not worth a historic treble with City”
“In the game, I was a major player in the PL, FA Cup, a little less in the Champions League, but over the last few years, I have always been important in this competition. There is a form of logic to to be rewarded with this European title,” said Riyad Mahrez, 31 years old. Already winner of the trophy in 2016 following his title of English champion with Leicester, the Algerian continues: “I heard that we were also trying to push for the goalkeeper of Morocco, Bounou, it’s true that he won the Europa League, but hey that’s in no way worth a historic treble with City. So we’ll see…”
Ranked 13th in the 2023 Ballon d’Or ranking, two places behind Mohamed Salah and five places behind the Nigerian Victor Osimhen (8th and best ranked African in this edition), beyond the coronation in the Europa League, Yassine Bounou made his mark seal this 2022-2023 season thanks to the World Cup in Qatar, where he managed to reach the semi-final with Morocco, the best performance by an African team in a World Cup.
A “historic” season for Mahrez and Bounou? Victor Osimhen can say as much following winning Napoli’s third Scudetto. Neapolitans have been waiting for this for more than 30 years. Top scorer last season in Serie A, the Nigerian became the first African top scorer in the Italian championship over a season with 26 goals.
“Mané and Salah” relegated to the background
“The African Ballon d’Or, normally, there is always Mané, Salah but last year on a collective level, it was a little more difficult for them,” also noted the native of Sarcelles.
Forfeited for the World Cup in Qatar and shy with Bayern (12 goals in 38 matches), the Senegalese Sadio Mané should not make the pass of three this year following having been rewarded in 2019 and 2022 (the 2020 and 2021 editions having been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). At the foot of the podium of the top scorers in the Premier League and following a European campaign ended in the eighth, the Egyptian Mohamed Salah for his part was weaned from trophies in a complicated season for his club Liverpool. So who will win the trophy? Response in less than a month.
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