TOP RANKING
Two hundred readers were polled in this survey about who the top African sports personality of the year. Here are the top 10 in 2022
1. Sadio Mane
Tops the list of top african sports personality in 2022. Following a brilliant career in Liverpool where he scored 120 times and assisted 48 times, Mane moved to German Giants Bayern Munich haven won the FA cup and Carling cup with Liverpool as well as the 2022 African cup of nations. Mane came second in this year’s Balon D’or rankings. The first time an African has finished in the top three since George Weah in 1996. He also won the first edition of the Socrates award in football for his contributions to charity back home at Senegal.
2. Tobi Amusan
The young Nigeria shone after being the first Nigerian to win a world outdoor title and first to set a world record following her 12.12 seconds run in Oregon in July 2022 and she is still ranked fifth best in overall women’s ranking. Her successes at the world championship inspired millions of her compatriots back home where she was honored with a national honors for her accomplishments in sports.
3. Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is arguably the most famous and greatest African marathoner of the modern era. Born and raised in Kenya’s Nandi District, Kipchoge has featured in high-level athletics since 2002. As of 2022, Kipchoge has won 14 of his 16 marathons. He broke his own records at the world marathon event in Berlin 2022.
4. Soufiane El Bakkali
The 26-yeard-old is the world 3000m steeplechase champion as well as Diamond League 3000m steeplechase champion. He was unbeaten in 2022, running a world-leading 7:58.28 in Rabat on June 5.
5. Faith Kipyegon, Kenya
World 1500m champion, Diamond League 1500m champion. She ran a world-leading Kenyan record of 3:50.37, just three tenths of a second off the world record.
6. Ese Brume, Nigeria
Ese Brume created history this year by becoming the first African (male or female) to claim two long jump medals at the world championships. She set a new common wealth games record with a leap of 7.00 metres to win gold. This feat made her become a celebrated figure in her home country and around the world.
7. Asisat Oshoala
Asisat won the 2022 award for best African female player of the year. She was also nominated for the female Balon D’or award this year. Her contribution to developing women’s football earned her honors from the women’s International champions cup. She is one of the shining female stars in global football even in 2022.
8. Mohammed Salah
The Egyptian king might not have achieved some sporting goals in 2022, following Egypt’s defeat in the Afcon final and failure to lead his country to the world cup. But he is still among the top African sports personality this year. He won the EFL and FA cup with Liverpool and has been one of the shining stars from Africa in global football including setting a record of the fastest hattrick in the UEFA champions league. Salah is still up there in African sports.
9. Ferdinand Omanyala
Ferdinand Omanyala was crowned king of the men’s 100m on day two of the the African Athletics Championships in Mauritius (6 June). The 26-year-old Kenyan pipped his South African track rival Akani Simbine by three thousandths of a second crossing the line in 9.927, just ahead of Simbine who clocked in at 9.930.
10. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Joel Embiid from the NBA is 10th on the list. The 2022 highest-paid athlete in Africa is Cameroon’s Joel Embiid, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball franchise in the United States. The Basketball stars is ranked 57th in the world.
Newsletter
Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter and be the first to Receive New Updates.
Your comments, ideas, and thoughts matter.
Drop us a line: