DR Congo and Pyramids FC striker Fiston Mayele has etched his name in continental football history after emerging as the only Africa-based footballer shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 CAF African Player of the Year Award.
The lethal forward, who spearheads Egypt’s Pyramids FC attack, was a driving force behind the club’s sensational rise to continental dominance, firing them to their maiden CAF Champions League triumph and adding the CAF Super Cup for good measure.
His exploits didn’t stop at club level: Mayele also played a pivotal role in guiding DR Congo to qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and helping them reach the play-offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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The Congolese goal poacher finds himself in illustrious company on the 10-man shortlist, which features some of the biggest names in world football.
Among them are Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, the Premier League’s top scorer and title winner with Liverpool, and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, whose stellar season saw him lift the domestic double and the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
Also in contention is Cameroon’s midfield dynamo André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, instrumental in Napoli’s Serie A conquest, as well as Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, who previously scooped the award in 2023. Senegalese stars Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) and Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur) make the cut after helping their nation secure World Cup qualification.
Nominees in the Men’s categories for CAF Awards 2025 announced.🤩🤩
➡️🔗 https://t.co/X4NyVkpYUH#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/FnHRDrQPkc
— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) October 22, 2025
