SADIO MANE has been named the 2019 Confederation of African Football’s Player of the Year.

The Senegal striker beat Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah — winner in 2017 and 2018 — and Manchester City’s Algerian forward Riyad Mahrez to the award.

The award was decided by votes from head coaches or technical directors and captains of Africa’s member associations.

“I am really happy and at the same time I am really proud to win this award,” said Mane at the ceremony organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Hurghada. “It’s a big day for me.”

Mane has become the second star from Senegal to be named African Player of the Year after El Hadji Diouf, who was the continent’s best player in 2001 and 2002.

He scored 34 goals and produced 12 assists in 61 appearances in 2019, according to CAF statistics.

Salah’s tally stood at 26 goals and 10 assists in 55 matches while Mahrez accounted for 14 goals and 18 assists in 48 games last year.

The key Senegalese player shared the 2018/19 Premier League Golden Boot award with Salah and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Gabon.

“I would love to thank all the Senegalese people. They have been for me all the time, they push me,” said Mane, extending sincere gratitude to people from his village Bambali.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino as well as former Argentinian player Juan Sebastian Veron and Brazil’s Cafu attended Tuesday’s event.

Some of Africa’s former star players including Senegal’s Diouf, Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan and Algeria’s Rabah Madjer were also at the ceremony.

Neither Salah nor Mahrez, who was playing for Manchester City, were present Tuesday.

Mane, Salah and Mahrez played for their respective countries in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah’s Egypt crashed out of the competition shortly after it kicked off but Mane and Mahrez faced off in the final.

Algeria claimed the title following a 1-0 victory over Senegal in Cairo.(SD-Agencies)