Salah named Africa's best player of 2017

Egypt winger Mohamed Salah was named the African Player of the Year on Thursday, finishing ahead of Senegal winger and Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Salah had a year to remember for club and country in 2017, establishing himself as one of the most effective attackers in Serie A, as club side AS Roma finished second to Juventus n Italy, before moving to Premier League side Liverpool in the off-season.

The 25-year-old settled right away on Merseyside and is currently the club's top scorer in all competitions in the 2017/18 season to date.

Meanwhile, Salah also played a pivotal role as the Pharoahs qualified for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since 1990, including a dramatic 95th-minute winner against Congo in their penultimate qualifying match.

"Winning this award is a dream come true. I want delicate this award to the kids in Egypt and Africa. I want to tell them that never stop dreaming," Salah said after receiving the award.

The awards ceremony in Ghana's capital, Accra, proved a successful one for Egypt, after the Pharoahs was named the national team of the year, and Hector Cuper was named coach of the year.

The Awards winners in full:

Men's Player of the Year: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Women's Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

Youth Player of the Year Patson Daka(Zambia)

Coach of the Year Hector Cuper(Egypt)

Club of the Year: Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)

National Team of the Year: Egypt

Women's National Team of the Year: South Africa

Football Leader of the Year: Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania)

Legends Award: Ibrahim Sunday (Ghana)

Jose Mourinho: Manchester United exit speculation 'garbage

 MANCHESTER -- Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed speculation he could quit Old Trafford in the summer as "garbage news."

Reports this week claimed the Portuguese coach could resign at the end of the season after falling behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race and becoming frustrated at a lack of investment in the playing squad.

However, Mourinho has rubbished the speculation and claimed he will stay at the club as long as the board and owners want him.

He told a news conference on Thursday: "Look, it depends on what you want to know and what you want to speak about.

"If you want to speak about some news, I say garbage. I don't find a better word to define the talk.

"If you want to ask me directly, which I suppose you want, if I see myself next season in Manchester United, I say I see myself [here]. And, as I told when I arrived, I'm going to leave when the club wants me to leave, because I have no intention to leave at all.

"My intention is to stay, and to work and to improve and to bring the club to where the club belongs and I want to stay. And I don't see any reason not to stay."

Mourinho signed a three-year contract with the option of an additional season when he took over from Louis van Gaal in 2016.

Sources told ESPN FC in October that the 54-year-old has held talks about a new deal, and Mourinho revealed that he would like to remain at Old Trafford beyond his current contract.

Speaking ahead of Derby County's visit in the FA Cup third round on Friday night, he added: "I still have a contract, in fact I am in the middle of my contract, I am not in the last couple of months, and my desire is to stay until the owners and the board is happy with my work.

"Yes, I see myself here [after three years]. I repeat, it is just a question of the club, the board, the owners, Mr Woodward, they all want, they all are happy with my contribution and they want me to stay beyond the end of this contract."