Former Cameroon head coach Denis Lavagne has made a controversial choice for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award.

Lavagne, who coached the Indomitable Lions between 2011 and 2012, has named Liverpool's stalwart Mohamed Salah as the player he believes deserves to win the CAF Men's Footballer of the Year award.

Despite his brilliant performances for the Reds, the Egyptian international was not named in the initial 10-man shortlist for the prestigious award.

Salah's omission can be attributed to his lack of impact at the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire earlier this year. The 32-year-old's AFCON campaign came to an abrupt end after sustaining an injury in Egypt's second game against Ghana.

“Even though he was not shortlisted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), I think that the Egyptian Mohamed Salah fully deserves the trophy for best African Player of the Year,” Lavagne told Foot Africa.

“He has done great things with Liverpool and with the Pharaohs. In my opinion, he is currently the best African player.”

Salah registered 25 goals and 14 assists for the Reds last season. He has so far racked up 13 goals and 11 assists in the current campaign under new boss Arne Slot.

The 2024 CAF Awards will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16. Nigeria's Ademola Lookman has been tipped as the favourite to succeed Victor Osimhen as the new king of African football.