Other big-name nominees announced by the Confederation of African Football include Sadio Mane of Senegal, Alex Iwobi of Nigeria, Mehdi Benatia of Morocco, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Riyad Mahrez of Algeria.
Madagascar striker Faneva Ima Andriatsima was also nominated and is a long-shot after his goals helped his country qualify for the 2019 African Cup of Nations, its first major tournament.
The list will be cut to three finalists and the winner will be announced on Jan. 8 in Dakar, Senegal.
