Liverpool trio Keita, Mane and Salah on CAF shortlist for POTY award

Mohamed Salah is joined by Liverpool team-mates Naby Keita and Sadio Mane on the preliminary list of nominees for the 2018 African Player of the Year award.

Salah scooped the individual prize in 2017 after impressing for both club and country, with Egypt reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final and also qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The 26-year-old faces competition for this year's honour from two familiar faces, with Guinea midfielder Keita - who moved to Liverpool in the last transfer window after agreeing to join from RB Leipzig the previous year - and Senegal forward Mane also in the running.

Riyad Mahrez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who won the award in 2016 and 2015 respectively, are also included on a 34-name shortlist announced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

 Here is the list of nominees for the various categories of the CAF Awards 2018:

The Awards  Gala, to honour footballers officials who distinguished themselves during the year under review, will be held on Tuesday, 8 January 2019 in Dakar, Senegal. #CAFAwards pic.twitter.com/cQgbWN5NgS

— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 30, 2018

Aubameyang's Arsenal colleague Alex Iwobi of Nigeria is another on the list, along with Everton's Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Wilfried Zaha, who represents the Ivory Coast.

Other prominent Europe-based players nominated are Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey, Medhi Benatia of Juventus, Ajax star Hakim Ziyech and Porto midfielder Yacine Brahimi.