Salah, Mane & Aubameyang finalists for CAF Player of the Year

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah will go up against Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a bid to retain his CAF Player of the Year crown.

Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah had an exceptional year at Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been confirmed as the Player of the Year finalists at the 2018 CAF Awards. The prestigious honour, set to be awarded at a gala in Dakar, Senegal, next week will go to one of three Premier League stars for their sprakling performances in 2018.

Salah was last year's winner and he followed up his 2017 achievements with another fine 12 months, breaking the Premier League's 38-game season goals record and leading Liverpool to the top of the league table and Champions League final.

Team-mate Mane - second in 2017 - has been similarly influential in the Reds' success, forming a devastating forward line along with Salah and Roberto Firmino. Mane and Salah both went to the World Cup, with Egypt and Senegal respectively, but neither made it past the group stage.

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Meanwhile, 2015 CAF Player of the Year Aubameyang hit the ground running at Arsenal after a big move from Borussia Dortmund. The Gabon international scored 10 Premier League goals last term following his switch in January and, heading into Tuesday's action, is tied with Salah and Harry Kane at the top of the scoring charts with 13 this season.