RIHAD MAHREZ WINS THE AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez has capped the most successful period of his career yet, by winning the 2016 African Player of the Year award.

The 25-year-old Algerian scored 17 Premier League goals as the Foxes shocked the world to win the English Premier League title under Claudio Ranieri's management in 2015-16.

Mahrez's exploits didn't go unnoticed by his colleagues, as he was also voted the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday night revealed that Mahrez had polled 361 votes to beat last year's winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund into second place, while Liverpool midfielder Sadio Mane was third.

Arsenal's 20-year-old Nigeria winger Alex Iwobi was crowned Youth Player of the Year after enjoying a breakout season for both club and country.

Elsewhere, striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions across his 52 appearances for Manchester City, was named Africa's 'Most Promising Talent', an honour the 20-year-old Nigerian previously received three years ago.



PAST WINNERS OF THE AWARD

1992: Abedi AYEW PELE (Ghana)

1993: Rashidi YEKINI (Nigeria)

1994: Emmanuel AMUNIKE (Nigeria)

1995: George WEAH (Liberia)

1996: Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)

1997: Victor IKPEBA (Nigeria)

1998: Mustapha HADJI (Morocco)

1999: Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)

2000: Patrick MBOMA (Cameroon)

2001: El-Hadji DIOUF (Senegal)

2002: El Hadji DIOUF (Senegal)

2003: Samuel ETO'O (Cameroon)

2004: Samuel ETO'O (Cameroon)

2005: Samuel ETO'O (Cameroon)

2006: Didier DROGBA (Côte d’Ivoire)

2007: Frederic KANOUTE (Mali)

2008: Emmanuel ADEBAYOR (Togo)

2009: Didier DROGBA (Côte d’Ivoire)

2010: Samuel ETO'O (Cameroon)

2011: Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)

2012: Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)

2013: Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)

2014: Yaya TOURE (Côte d’Ivoire)

2015: Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon)