Liverpool and Egypt winger Mohamed Salah has been backed to win the African Footballer of the Year award for 2017 by footballing legend Diego Maradona.

The 25-year-old is one of five nominees in the running to win the BBC-backed award, alongside fellow Red Sadio Mane and future teammate Naby Keita, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Victor Moses are also in contention.

Salah has played a direct part in 16 goals in 17 appearances for Liverpool since joining from Roma in a £34.3m deal in the summer, having also helped Egypt to the World Cup finals, and he has a big fan in former Argentina and Napoli great Maradona.

"I would like to support Salah who has greatly succeeded with Roma and Liverpool," he told Sada El-Balad. "He's a wonderful player who surely deserves the award."

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez won the award last season, while Yaya Toure of Manchester City picked it up four years running between 2011 and 2014.