AFP, JOHANNESBURG: Reigning African Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez of Algeria failed to make the 30-nominee list of contenders announced Wednesday for the 2017 award. The winger was a key figure in the Leicester City side that defied 5,000-1 odds and stunned the football world by winning the 2015/16 English Premier League title.

But his form subsequently slumped and he was axed by Algeria, whose results have declined dramatically since reaching the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Five Premier League stars are among those hoping to succeed Mahrez when the African Player of the Year is announced in Ghana on January 4.

Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mane of Senegal will be among the favourites for the leading CAF individual award.

Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly from the Ivory Coast, Newcastle United and Ghana winger Christian Atsu and winger Victor Moses of Chelsea and Nigeria were other selections.

There are four nominees from Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1, two from the German Bundesliga, but none from Italy's Serie A.

Prolific Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the 2015 African Player of the Year and runner-up last year, is likely to be another strong contender.