Ghanaian youngster Eric Ayiah has been nominated for the CAF Youth Player of the Year after a fruitful 2017.

Ayiah captained the national U-17 team at the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and FIFA World Cup in India.

Ayiah dazzled fans and players alike with his pace and scoring prowess at both tournaments, finishing as Ghana’s top scorer with a total of seven goals.

The Charity Stars striker faces stiff competition from South Africa winger Luther Singh. Singh emerged top scorer at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations and was also named in the team of the tournament.

The rest are Senegal's Krepin Diatta and Patson Daka of Zambia and Austrian side FC Liefering.

Mali starlet Salam Giddou of Guidars who starred at the 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup finals completes the cast.

Also, the female U-20 team, Black Princesses are in contention for Women’s national team of the year award. 

The winners will be decided by votes from the members of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, CAF Media Experts Panel and Independent Media and TV Consultants.

Meanwhile, only members of the CAF Referees’ Committee will elect the Referee of the Year.

The Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, 4 January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.

African Player of the Year (alphabetical order)

1.     Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Olympique Lyon)                  

2.     Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)                     

3.     Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)        

4.     Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)                    

5.     Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

6.     Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)      

7.     Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & B. Dortmund)

8.     Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)       

9.     Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)        

10.  Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)           

11.  Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)

Player of the Year (Based in Africa)

1.     Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)    

2.     Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)

3.     Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)          

4.     Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & El Masry)

5.     Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)       

6.     Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

7.     Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)    

8.     Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)

9.       Mohamed Ounnajem (Morooco & Wydad Athletic Club)

10.  Taha Yassine Khenisssi (Tunisia & Esperance)

Women’s Player of the Year

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)

Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & Rossyanka)

Rutendo Makore (Zimbabwe & Black Rhinos)

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Kvarnsvedens)

Women’s National Team of the Year

Ghana U-20

Kenya

Nigeria U-20

South Africa

Zimbabwe

 Coach of the Year

Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

Hector Cuper (Egypt)

Hugo Broos (Cameroon)

L’Hussein Amoutta (Wydad Athletic Club)

Mihayo Kazembe (TP Mazembe)

National Team of the Year

Cameroon

Egypt

Mali U-17

Nigeria

Zambia U-20

Club of the Year

Al Ahly

Mbabane Swallows

SuperSport United

TP Mazembe

Wydad Athletic Club

Youth Player of the Year

Eric Ayiah (Ghana & Charity Stars)

Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)

Luther Singh (South Africa & Braga)

Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)

Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)

Referee of the Year

Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)

Ghead Grisha (Egypt)

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)

Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)