Tau joins Sundowns pair on final list for top Caf Awards

Bafana Bafana and Al Ahly star Percy Tau has made the final cut of ten nominees for the Caf Interclub Player of the Year Award, announced by the Confederation of African Football on Friday.

Tau is joined on the list by Mamelodi Sundowns’ Namibian super-striker Peter Shalulile.

They lit up the continent's stadiums. ✨

Here's your final shortlist for the Interclub Player of the Year (MEN) award.#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/dQimAXBrUw

— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 17, 2023

Sundowns also have nominations remaining in two other categories. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is one of five nominees for Goalkeeper of the Year, while Sundowns have also been nominated for the Club of the Year Award.

Tau probably has the best chance of all the South Africa-related nominees, his five goals and five assists lighting up Al Ahly’s surge to the Caf Champions League title last season.

The former Sundowns man netted twice in a 3-0 demolition of Esperance in the first leg of the semifinals and again in the first leg of the final against Wydad Casablanca.

He also grabbed two goals in the group stages, against Sundowns and Coton Sport of Cameroon.

Shalulile scored six times for Mamelodi Sundowns in last season’s Champions League, finishing tied for second in the tournament scoring charts.

Williams joins superstar list

Williams played well for Sundowns in the Champions League last season and captained South Africa as they qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals. His nomination comes alongside a list of superstar goalkeepers from the continent – Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, who helped his team reach the World Cup semifinals in Qatar; Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana; Senegal and former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy; And Egypt and Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shanawy.

Sundowns will compete in the Club of the Year category against USM Alger of Algeria, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Young Africans of Tanzania, and the clear favourites to win that award, Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

The Caf Awards will take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 11.