The results were made public on Thursday January 5, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez has been crowned African Player of the Year 2016 during the 2016 Gala event of the Glo-CAF Awards in Abuja, Nigeria. Ugandan goalie, Denis Onyango was equally crowned African Player of the Year based in Africa 2016. 

Mahrez, 25, is the first Algerian and also the first North African to win the prestigious individual honour in African football since its inception by the African Football Confederation (CAF) in 1992. According to the final results, Riyad Mahrez won 361 votes beating last year’s winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon who reaped 313 votes, whilst Senegalese forward, Sadio Mane got the third place with 186 votes.

For the African Player of the Year – Based in Africa, Onyango emerged winner. He becomes the first goalkeeper to win the award designed to reward players who ply their trade on the continent. In the women’s category, Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala was named Women’s Player of the Year, ahead of Cameroons Gabrielle Aboudi-Onguene and Ghana’s Elizabeth Addo. Asisat Oshoala won the title for the second time 2014 in Lagos.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria were adjudged Women’s National Team of the Year following their eighth record title at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in December 2016. Pitso MOSIMANE coach of Mamelodi Sundowns won the best coach while the same club won the best club award.

The Ugandan National team won the best national team of the year while Bakary Papa Gassama of Gambia won the best referee of the year. Ivorian goal machine, Laurent Pokou, who passed away last November, was posthumously inducted as an “African Legend” together with Cameroon’s Emilienne Mbango, one of the pioneers of women football on the continent.