Ayew named in CAF's 30-man list for CAF top award

West Ham United record signing Andre Ayew is the only Ghanaian to be named in CAF's preliminary 30-man list for the 2016 African Player of the Year.

The Black Stars deputy captain will be seeking to win it for the first after missing on the last edition in Lagos when he finished third behind winner Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Yaya Toure.

He finished his debut season at Swansea City as the club's top scorer.

But he faces stiff competition from English Premier League title-winner Riyad Mahrez who named PFA Player of the Year with 17 goals and 11 assists in 34 league games.

Also included in the list are Manchester United's Eric Bailly, Sadio Mane of Liverpool and Manchester City kid Kelechi Iheanacho.

Five players based on the continent Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns), Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs), Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns & Uganda ), Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns & Zimbabwe) and William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club),

African Player of the Year 1. Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Leicester City) 2. Andre Ayew (Ghana & West Ham) 3. Aymen Abdennour Tunisia & Valencia) 4. Benjamin Mounkandjo (Cameroon & Lorient) 5. Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal) 6. Dennis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns) 7. El Arabi Hillel Soudani (Algeria & Dinamo Zagreb) 8. Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United) 9. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax) 10. Islam Slimani (Algeria & Leicester City) 11. Itumeleng Khune (South Africa & Kaizer Chiefs) 12. John Mikel Obi (Nigeria & Chelsea) 13.Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli) 14.Keegan Dolly (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns) 15.Kelechi Iheanacho (Nigeria & Manchester City) 16.Khama Billiat (Zimbabwe & Mamelodi Sundowns) 17. Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania & Genk) 18. Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus) 19. Mohamed El Neny (Egypt & Arsenal) 20. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Roma) 21. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Dortmund) 22.Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Leicester City) 23.Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool) 24.Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon & Antalyaspor) 25.Serge Aurier (Cote d’Ivoire & PSG) 26.Victor Wanyama (Kenya & Tottenham) 27. Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Sunderland) 28. William Jebor (Liberia & Wydad Athletic Club) 29. Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo & Everton) 30. Yao Kouasi Gervais ‘Gervinho’ (Cote d’Ivoire & Hebei Fortune)