Mohamed Salah retains African Player of the Year and leads group of seven Premier League stars in best XI

The Liverpool star retains the prestigious award ahead of team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Mohamed Salah has won the 2018 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year, retaining the honour after a spectacular year with Liverpool.

The Egyptian's prolific goalscoring form saw him beat out team-mate Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the top prize.

The Egyptian, who inspired his nation to the 2018 World Cup, also featured in the best XI of the year, which was dominated by the Premier League, who contributed seven players in total.

"I have dreamt of winning this award since I was a child and now I have done so twice in a row," Salah said.

As well as Mane and Aubameyang, Tottenham's Serge Aurier, Manchester United's Eric Bailly, Liverpool's Naby Keita and Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez also made the best XI.

(Action Images via Reuters (Action Images via Reuters)

Africa Best XI: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns/Uganda), Serge Aurier (Tottenham/Ivory Coast), Medhi Benatia (Juventus/Morocco), Eric Bailly (Manchester United/Ivory Coast), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli/Senegal); Naby Keita (Liverpool/Guinea), Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid/Ghana), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City/Algeria); Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal/Gabon), Sadio Mane (Liverpool/Senegal)

Women's player of the year: Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa)

Youth player of the Year: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

Coach of the Year: Herve Renard (Morocco)

Women's coach of the Year: Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

National team of the year: Mauritania

Women's national team of the year: Nigeria

Goal of the Year: Chrestinah 'Thembi' Kgatlana (for South Africa v Nigeria in Group B game at Women's Africa Cup of Nations)