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Where are each of the 10 players named by the Confederation of African Football as the best young African player of the year?
1 Pape Matar Sarr
The latest wonderkid to clinch the award, Pape Matar Sarr was something of a surprise winner—especially as he squeezed out Kamaldeen Sulemana for the prize.
The starlet was a member of the Senegal squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations, albeit as a peripheral figure, and was also relegated with FC Metz.
He’s certainly talented, but the award was a strange recompense for a tough year.
2 Alex Iwobi
A third consecutive Nigerian winner, Iwobi was named Africa’s most promising during his time with Arsenal.
Unlike Oshoala and Osimhen, he hasn’t become one of the top players in his position in the world, and has tumbled down the Premier League table with Everton.
He’s delivered some encouraging performances under Frank Lampard this term; could he finally realise his potential?
3 Mohamed Salah
The most successful name on this list, Salah appeared destined for great things when he clinched this prize in 2012, although expectations were revised downwards after he failed to make the grade at Chelsea.
Since then, of course, he’s gone on to conquer the sport, becoming Africa’s top scoring player in Premier League history during his illustrious spell with Liverpool.
The forward has also inspired the Reds to three Champions League finals—winning in 2019—and helped Liverpool end their three-decade wait for the top flight crown in 2020.
3 Asisat Oshoala
The only woman to win the award so far, Oshoala was the first player to claim the newly branded Young Player of the Year award in 2014.
She’s enjoyed immense success over the intervening eight years, clinching silverware in England, China and with the Super Falcons.
The attacker is currently with Barcelona, where she became the first African player to win the Champions League in 2021.
4 Souleymane Coulibaly
Back in 2011, Coulibaly was simply sensational, scoring nine in four games at the U-17 World Cup, including a remarkable hat-trick against Brazil.
His performances earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur, but he never made the grade at Spurs and is currently with Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel after a bizarre career path including Bari, Peterborough United, Newport County, Al-Ahly, Partick Thistle, and Kilmarnock.
He recently moved to the Cypriot top flight.
5 Kwadwo Asamoah
On one hand, Asamoah was one of the most decorated players of his generation, winning six Serie A titles and reaching the Champions League and Europa League finals with Juventus and Internazionale.
On the other hand, his career was ravaged by injury, with Asamoah never truly delivering on the promise his demonstrated as a youngster.
Still only 33, he’s been without a club since leaving Cagliari in July 2021.
6 Victor Osimhen
Osimhen took the baton from his compatriot Oshoala in 2015, and has gone on to become the most prominent African striker in the world game.
After impressing with LOSC Lille, he joined Napoli for a club-record €70 million, and was tipped for a move to Manchester United during the course of the transfer window.
7 Mantorras
Caught the eye as a wonderkid with Benfica, with his sharp movement and pace setting him apart as one to watch.
He was part of the Angola team that reached the 2006 World Cup, but his career petered out and he retired aged just 28.
The ex-striker subsequently worked for Benfica as an ambassador.
8 John Obi Mikel
One of the most decorated African players in history, Mikel starred at the Fifa Youth Championship in 2005—rivalling Lionel Messi as the outstanding player of the tournament—and subsequently secured a move to Chelsea (via a brief, brief moment with Manchester United).
League titles, FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League followed over the next decade, and Mikel went on to feature for the likes of Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor and Stoke City.
He’s been without a club since leaving Kuwait SC in 2021.
9 Salomon Kalou
One of the unsung heroes of both a magnificent Chelsea side and the Ivory Coast’s Golden Generation, Kalou was the first Francophone player to win the YPOTY prize.
He made his Elephants debut in 2007, and featured in the Nations Cup in 2008—the same year in which he was honoured as Africa’s best young player.
He was a Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup winner at Chelsea, and recently signed for Djiboutian side AS Arta/Solar 7.
10 Obafemi Martins
Clinched the award in both 2003 and 2004, a time when he was breaking into the Internazionale side and appeared destined for the very top.
Competition eventually squeezed him out of Inter, and he moved on to Newcastle Unitedand later won the League Cup with Birmingham City.
He enjoyed success in the United States with Seattle Sounders and has been without a club since leaving Wuhan Zall in 2020.
