Sadio Mane on Thursday was crowned soccer’s African Player of the Year in Rabat for the second time.
The Senegal forward first won the honor in 2019 while he was at Liverpool.
The 30-year-old left the English Premier League club last month after signing a three-year deal with Bayern Munich.
“I am really honored and highly delighted to receive this award again,” Mane said.
“Thanks to my coaches, my club and national team colleagues, and those friends who stood by me during difficult times,” he said.
Mane was in the Moroccan capital to receive the award after a dash across the Atlantic having converted a penalty for his new club in a 6-2 pre-season friendly win over DC United in Washington on Wednesday.
It was the second successive continental player of the year award for Mane after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of the past two editions.
He won ahead of former Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah from Egypt and fellow Senegal international and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Mane and Salah played pivotal roles last season with Liverpool, who lifted the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and finished runners-up in the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Salah has since signed a new contract at Anfield, while Mane opted for a move, with Bayern reportedly paying an initial 32 million euros (US$32.6 million) that could rise to 41 million euros.
The transfer fee was a far cry from the 4 million euros Red Bull Salzburg paid Metz in 2012 when Mane made his first move in Europe.
Mane in February converted the decisive fifth penalty to give Senegal a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Egypt and a first Africa Cup of Nations title after the final ended 0-0 in Yaounde.
A month later, Mane was once again the shoot-out match-winner against Egypt, this time in a World Cup playoff near Dakar after a 1-1 aggregate stalemate.
Salah did not get a chance to take a penalty in the Cup of Nations decider, while he blazed the first Egypt kick wide in the playoff that secured a World Cup place in Qatar in November for Senegal.
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