‘Mr Safe hands’ as he is always referred to by a number of football fans in Uganda, Cranes captain and goalkeeper, Denis Masinde Onyango has been left out on the final list of football players vying for the award of CAF Football Player of the Year.
Onyango, who plies his trade from South African side, Mamelodi Sundowns, caused excitement among Ugandans when he was nominated alongside other 33 top African players in November for the awards.
Last month, his name featured on the 10 man list released by continental football body, CAF, which kept his hopes of scooping the award and those of his fans alive.
Sadly, on Tuesday January 1, Onyango’s name did not surface on the final list released.
Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah, Senegal’s Sadio Mane as well as Gabonese striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang are the men who will compete for the award, scheduled for January 8 in Senegal.
Onyango is last year’s CAF African Player of the Year based in Africa and his goalkeeping abilities remain undoubtedly standing. He guided Uganda to the second consecutive final AFCON tournament without conceding a goal.
Meanwhile, Uganda Cranes remain in race for the men’s national football team of the year award alongside other five countries which include Guinea Bisau, Kenya, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Mauritania.