Nantes winger Moses Simon and Lille striker Victor Osimhen have been nominated for the 2020 Marc-Vivien Foe prize alongside nine other African stars.
The 11 nominees for the annual award, organised by Radio France International and France 24, were announced on Friday with the winner set to be revealed on June 29.
The other nominees are Reims centre-back Yunis Abdelhamid, Saint-Etienne forward Denis Bouanga, Montpellier forward Andy Delort, Metz star Habib Diallo, PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Monaco striker Islam Slimani and Rennes trio Mbaye Niang, Hamari Traore and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The shortlist is dominated by four Senegalese, with two Algerians, two Nigerians, one Gabonese, one Moroccan and also included one Malian.
Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe won the 2019 edition before his switch to England after his fine contributions for Lille last season.
Simon, who is on loan from Levante, earned his nomination after ending the 2019-20 Ligue season as Nantes Player of the Season with a contribution of five goals and five assists in 26 league outings.
Osimhen, on his part, had an impressive debut Ligue 1 season with a tally of 13 goals and four assists in 27 matches for Lille.
Algeria duo Slimani and Delort also gave a good account of themselves in front of goal. Delort registered nine goals and three assists in 26 games for Montpellier while Leiceter City loanee Slimani returned nine goals and seven assists in 18 Ligue 1 appearances.
Mendy, Traore and Niang played crucial roles in helping Rennes secure a spot in the Uefa Champions League qualification round after a third-place finish in the league.
Mendy managed nine clean sheets in 24 league matches while Traore proved his versatility on the flanks for the Red and Blacks and Niang hit double figures with 10 goals in 26 matches.
Bouanga is another African star who enjoyed a fine season in the French top-flight, ending the 2019-20 campaign as Saint-Etienne’s top scorer with 10 goals after 26 matches.
After clinching his second league title in France, Gueye made the cut for his consistency and his contributions in PSG’s midfield.
Diallo’s contribution of 12 goals in 26 matches helped Metz maintain their top-flight status as they finished 15th on the league standings.
Morocco’s Abdelhamid completes the 11-man list, thanks to his defensive prowess at Reims and also his contribution of three goals after playing every minute of his team’s league matches this season.
