RFI (Radio France Internationale) and France 24 revealed on Tuesday the finalists for the 2019 Marc-Vivien Foé Award, which honors the best African player in Ligue 1.
Among this year’s nominees are four returning finalists from 2018: Wahbi Khazri, Nicolas Pépé, Max-Alain Gradel, and Bertrand Traoré. The list is completed by Moroccan Yunis Abdelhamid, Algerian Youcef Atal, Cameroonian Stéphane Bahoken, Gabonese Denis Bouanga, Guinean François Kamano, South African Lebo Mothiba, and Senegalese Ismaila Sarr, reflecting a diverse pool of talent from across the continent.
Voting for the award will be conducted by a 100-member jury composed of journalists, consultants, former players, and other experts. Each juror is asked to select three players in April, assigning five points to their first choice, three to their second, and one to their third. The winner of the 2019 Marc-Vivien Foé Award will be announced on May 13.
The Marc-Vivien Foé Award was created to celebrate African excellence in French football, commemorating the late Cameroonian midfielder who tragically passed away in 2003. Previous winners include some of the continent’s biggest stars:
- 2009*: Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux/Morocco)
- 2010*: Gervinho (Lille/Ivory Coast)
- 2011: Gervinho (Lille/Ivory Coast)
- 2012: Younès Belhanda (Montpellier/Morocco)
- 2013: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Saint-Étienne/Gabon)
- 2014: Vincent Enyeama (Lille/Nigeria)
- 2015: André Ayew (Marseille/Ghana)
- 2016: Sofiane Boufal (Lille/Morocco)
- 2017: Jean Mickaël Seri (Nice/Ivory Coast)
- 2018: Karl Toko Ekambi (Angers SCO/Cameroon)
The 2019 edition promises another competitive race, with nominees showcasing exceptional performances in Ligue 1 over the season.
