He received the award during a ceremony in Senegal.

"I have dreamt of winning this award since I was a child and now I have done it twice in a row," he said.

"My thanks go to my family, my team-mates and my fans and I dedicate this trophy to my homeland, Egypt."

During the 2017-2018 season 26-year-old Salah scored a record-breaking 44 goals for English Premier League side Liverpool, helping them reach the UEFA Champions League final for the first time since 2007.

He also picked up 10 assists for the club and scored his country's only two goals at the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The France Football Federation labelled the Egyptian star the sixth best player in the world for 2018 in their annual Ballon d'Or award standings, while the sport's governing body FIFA named him the third best player in their end of year awards ceremony.

The left-footed winger first came onto the scene playing for Belgian club Basel, gaining a transfer to English side Chelsea in 2014, where he failed to establish himself as a first team regular.

Loan moves to Fiorentina and Roma in Italy followed, before his move to the latter was made permanent in 2016.

It was there that the Egyptian really made a name for himself, scoring 17 goals and gaining 12 assists in 33 appearances across the 2016-2017 season.

He signed for Liverpool in the summer of 2017 for a reported £36.9 million ($47.2 million/€40.9 million) and went on to win the 2017-2018 Premier League Player of the Season and golden boot awards for most goals scored.

The Africa prize is awarded by the Confederation of African Football.

A voting panel of national team coaches and captains, as well as officials and journalists, decide the winner.