Three left

EGYPTIAN football striker Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam is among a handful players vying for Africa's Player of the Year award.

Mido, along with Senegalese duo Al-Hadji Diouf and Pape Bouba Diop, are through to the final stage of nominations. The winner will be announced on 31 March at a ceremony in South Africa.

Liverpool's Diouf is the hot favourite to take the award thanks mainly to his great showing in Senegal's excellent World Cup campaign. Were he to take it, he would be only the second player in the history of the trophy to win it back-to-back. Africa's Ghanaian legend Abedi Pele was the first, in 1991 and 1992.

Diouf will have to defend his prestigious title against his fellow countryman Diop who plays for Lens. Diop was recently named the best player in Senegal.

The third contender, Mido, Egypt's 19-year-old sensation, led his Dutch club, Ajax, to the double and the Super Cup and has become one of the hottest names on the European market.

There were originally 22 nominations. Senegal had the lion's share after its World Cup performance. Diouf's teammate at Liverpool, Salif Diao, and another French-based Senegalese, Khalilou Fadiga, were in the running, as was attacker Henri Camara. Two Nigerians were nominated: goal scorer Julius Aghahowa and rising star John Utaka. Other contenders included the new wonder boy from Zimbabwe, Benjamin Mwaruwari, and Sierra Leone's Paul Kpaka.