Mohamed Salah wins BBC African Footballer of the Year

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SteemSports Presenter: @zentalk

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Steemsports Editor: @mojorisin

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Feeling greatly honored, Egyptian Mohamed Salah has just received a prestigious award. He has been voted BBC African Footballer of the Year for 2017.

Salah received a record number of votes, the Liverpool star beat out several other worthy candidates including Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Guinean Naby Keita, Sadio Mane of Senegal and Nigeria's Victor Moses.

"I am very happy to win this award," Salah told BBC Sport. It's always a special feeling when you win something. I feel like I had a great year, so I'm very happy."

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Salah, can easily be considered the Premier League's top scorer landing 13 goals. Nobody doubts the fact that he has had an amazing year bringing honor to both club and country.

When we flash back to early 2017, the forward was central to Egypt as they finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah also played a large role in all seven of the goals that took the Pharaohs to their first World Cup since 1990 - assisting two and scoring five, including the stoppage-time penalty against Congo that qualified them for Russia.

"I want to be the best Egyptian ever so I work hard," added Salah, who is the third player from Egypt to win the award and first since 2008. I always follow my own way and I want everyone in Egypt to follow my way."

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It's hard to criticize the amazing work Salah has accomplished on the pitch and his form at club level has been every bit as impressive as it has been in internationals.

In Italy, he closed 15 goals and made 11 others being an instrumental part of why Roma finished second in Serie A. Another interesting fact is that this has been their best league placing in seven years.

"I would like to thank my Liverpool team-mates and I also had a good season with Roma so I have to thank my team-mates there and my team-mates in the national team," said Salah. "Since I came here, I wanted to work hard and show everyone my football. I wanted to come back to the Premier League since I left, so I am very happy."

Salah took the Premier League by storm this season, in contrast to a less lesser season in the division with Chelsea between 2014-15.

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"It's well-deserved," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who handed the trophy to the player at the club's training ground. "I am a really lucky person. I had the opportunity to work with a few outstanding players and I am happy that it is now with Mo."

As a result of winning the BBC African Footballer of the year prize Salah's name will go down in history next to a list of legends including Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Michael Essien (Ghana).

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"I am very happy to be like them in winning this award," said Salah, who follows compatriots Mohamed Barakat (2005) and Mohamed Aboutrika (2008) in receiving the trophy.

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Sources:
http://www.metro.co.uk
http://www.bbc.com
http://www.liverpoolfc.com

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