Marc-Vivien Foe award: Achraf Hakimi and Wahbi Khazri among nominees
- Published
Achraf Hakimi's PSG are 12 points clear at the top of French Ligue 1 with eight games of the campaign remaining
Paris St-Germain and Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi and Saint-Etienne and Tunisia midfielder Wahbi Khazri are among the 12 nominees for the 2022 Marc-Vivien Foe award for the best African player in France's Ligue 1.
Mali and Rennes captain Hamari Traore and Nantes' Nigeria winger Moses Simon are also on the shortlist.
Meanwhile, two former winners - Angers' Sofiane Boufal of Morocco and Lyon's Cameroon forward Karl Toko Ekambi - are in the race to succeed last year's victor Gael Kakuta of Lens and DR Congo.
The prize is named in honour of former Cameroon midfielder Foe, who died aged 28 after collapsing on the pitch during a game against Colombia in 2003.
The award is voted for by journalists from all branches of the media and is co-sponsored by Radio France Internationale (RFI) and TV news channel France 24.
Ones to watch
PSG pair Idrissa Gana Gueye of Senegal and Hakimi, alongside Simon, Traore and Khazri, have established themselves in the French top tier and are favourites for the prize.
However, Nice and Gabon's Mario Lemina, who has previously played in Italy, England and Turkey, is one of the outsiders for the honour.
Highly-experienced Reims and Morocco defender Yunis Abdelhamid, 34, is the oldest nominee, while his compatriot and Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd is one of the rising stars in the French top flight at the age of 26.
Guinea's Mohamed Bayo was top scorer in Ligue 2 last season with Clermont, and his 10 goals in Ligue 1 during this campaign have earned the striker a nomination.
Ivorian Seko Fofana, who was at Manchester City and Fulham, finished seventh last year in the race for the honour and the Lens captain is hoping to emulate team-mate Kakuta this season.
The 2022 winner of one of Europe's most respected awards for African footballers is set to be revealed on 16 May.
Previous Marc-Vivien Foe award winners
2021 - Gael Kakuta (DR Congo/Lens)
2020 - Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Lille)
2019 - Nicholas Pepe (Ivory Coast/Lille)
2018 - Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon/Angers)
2017 - Jean Michael Seri (Ivory Coast/Nice)
2016 - Sofiane Boufal (Morocco/Lille)
2015 - Andre Ayew (Ghana/Marseille)
2014 - Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria/Lille)
2013 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Saint-Etienne)
2012 - Younes Belhanda (Morocco/Montpellier)
2011 - Gervinho (Ivory Coast/Lille)
2010 - Gervinho (Ivory Coast/Lille)
2009 - Marouane Chamakh (Morocco/Bordeaux)