- African footballers, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Eliesse Ben Seghir, have been nominated for top honors at the UNFP awards
- This awards ceremony spotlights exceptional players from the French Ligue 1,2 and women’s league
- The winners will be announced at the gala event scheduled for May 13th
Gabon football legend Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Morocco’s Ben Seghir have earned nominations for the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, respectively, at the UNFP (Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels) awards for the 2023/2024 season.
The UNFP announced the nominees for this distinguished award ceremony on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, with African players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ben Seghir, Yahia Fofana, Mamadou Samassa, and Alexandre Mendy being recognized in various categories.
Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a formidable presence at Marseille since his transfer in July 2023. In over 31 Ligue 1 matches with Marseille, the 34-year-old has netted 14 goals and provided eight assists.
He currently leads the 2023/2024 Europa League as the top scorer with ten goals and three assists and is ranked the fourth top scorer in Ligue 1.
Accumulating a total of 26 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions, Aubameyang is enjoying his most prolific season since his time with Arsenal during the 2019-2020 campaign, a performance that has undoubtedly contributed to his nomination.
Alongside Aubameyang, the other distinguished nominees for the Player of the Year award include Ousmane Dembélé from PSG, known for his dynamic performances on the wing; Pierre Lees-Melou of Brest, who has been exceptional in midfield, reigning winner of this category for the past four years, Kylian Mbappé, also of PSG, who doubles as the current top scorer in Ligue 1 ; and Edon Zhegrova from Lille, whose skillful contributions have made him a standout player this season.
On the other hand, the “Best Young Player” award nomination has been given to the Moroccan prodigy, Eliesse Ben Seghir. Playing for AS Monaco, Ben has been recognized as an exceptionally talented prospect, in a season of only 11 games, amounting to 273 minutes of play from which he has one goal and an assist to his credit.
The 19-year-old is in competition with peers such as Rayan Cherki from Lyon, Désiré Doué representing Rennes, Leny Yoro of Lille, and Warren Zaïre-Emery from PSG.
In the French Ligue 2, celebrated AFCON champion goalkeeper Yahia Fofana has earned a nomination for the prestigious Best Keeper Award. The 24-year-old Angers SCO star has impressively maintained 13 clean sheets over 30 matches in the 2023/2024 season.
Fofana faces stiff competition from Malian goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa of Stade Levallois. In his debut nomination, Samassa boasts 11 clean sheets and has made an outstanding 151 saves across 33 games. The award’s lineup is further graced by notable talents such as Gautier Larsonneur of Saint-Etienne, Donovan Léon from Auxerre, and Brice Maubleu representing Grenoble.
In another category, Alexandre Mendy has also secured a nomination for the UNFP’s “Ligue 2 Best Player of the Year.” The Guinea Bissau international has been in exceptional form, netting 20 goals in 34 appearances for Stade Malherbe Caen. Currently leading the scoring charts, Mendy stands six goals ahead of his closest rival, Moussa Sylla.
Attracting attention from clubs in Europe and Saudi Arabia, the 30-year-old forward is a strong contender to depart Caen adorned with the Ligue 2 Player of the Year accolade.
In the women’s league, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and Malawi’s forward Tabitha Chawinga have been honored as the Best Goalkeeper and Best Player, respectively, of the French women’s league. Their exceptional performances have also secured them spots on the esteemed Team of the Year.
The winners of the awards will be announced at the Trophées UNFP ceremony on May 13, 2024.
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