Uganda Cranes was voted the best team of the year at the Glo CAF Awards as goalkeeper Dennis Onyango scooped the player of the year based in Africa accolade.
This was at the glamorous awards night held at the International Conference Center in Abuja on Thursday night.
Uganda was ably represented by the FUFA CEO, Edgar Watson and Onyango himself before hundreds of CAF dignitaries, invited guests, sponsors, media personnel, the respective federation administrators, current and retired footballers.
Uganda Cranes beat DR Congo and Senegal to the team of the year award after a clinical year of breaking the 39 year of jinx after failure to return to the continental showpiece.
On the other hand, Onyango was better of Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Khama Billiat and TP Mazembe’s Reinford Kalaba.
He thus became the first goalkeeper to scoop the award designed to reward players who ply their trade on the continent.
Onyango, who was also named among the CAF best XI is now in transit to join the Uganda Cranes team where the national team is preparing for the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations.
Full list of Winners:
African Player of the Year – Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa: Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Women’s Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Arsenal Ladies)
Most Promising Talent: Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City)
Youth Player of the Year: Alex Iwobi (Nigeria and Arsenal)
Coach of the Year: Pitso Mosimane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Club of the Year: Mamelodi Sundowns
National Team of the Year:Uganda
Women’s National Team of the Year:Nigeria
Referee of the Year: Bakary Papa Gassama
Football Leader of the Year: Manuel Lopes Nascimento, President of Guinea Bissau Football Federation
Legend Award: Laurent Pokou, Former player of Cote d’Ivoire and Emilienne MBANGO, Former player of Cameroon
Africa Finest XI
Goalkeeper: Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Defenders: Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & Paris Saint-Germain), Aymen Abdennour (Tunisia & Valencia), Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United), Joyce Lomalisa (DR Congo & AS Vita)
Midfielders: Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns), Rainford Kalaba (Zambia & TP Mazembe), Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Forwards: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund), Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City)
Substitutes
Aymen Mathlouthi (Tunisia & Etoile du Sahel), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli), Salif Coulibaly (Mali & TP Mazembe), Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City), Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma), Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City), Alex Iwobi (Nigeria and Arsenal)
Happy for Uganda and Denis Onyango who plays with alot of passion for his country-he deserves a presidential handshake as well!hahahahaah
Magogo Tasaana na kutunuurira Onyango, Kubanga Muswavu nnyo nnyo nnyo, Ye oba tufuna ddi FUFA president omulala??
Wamma Thanks Dennis Masinde Onyango
moses magogo must be hiding this head in the sand like the birds in kipedo national game park…… #ashamed of this victory for our goalie @denismansideonyango.