The men’s and women’s African footballer of the year will be crowned on Monday, with five and three players respectively vying for each award.
Ademola Lookman leads the male contenders after impressing for Atalanta over the past 12 months.
The 27-year-old forward played a key role in helping the Italian club win the first European trophy in their history last season.
Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has set aside traditional West African rivalries and is tipping the Nigerian to pick up the trophy.
“I will support him to win because of what he’s done for Atalanta, winning the Europa League and scoring a hat-trick in the final,” Agyemang-Badu told BBC Sport Africa.
Lookman was a runner-up with the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with Ivory Coast clinching the trophy on home soil.
Simon Adingra set up both goals for the Elephants that February day in Abidjan.
“Adingra was absolutely outstanding – the key player in the knockout stages,” former South Africa midfielder Dean Furman told the BBC.
“He was rightly named young player the tournament and man of the match (in the final). He gets my vote.”
South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams won the golden glove at Afcon 2023, having saved four penalties in Bafana Bafana’s quarter-final shootout victory against Cape Verde.
Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, a bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, and Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy round out the men’s shortlist.
We want you to rank the contenders for the men’s and, below, the women’s award.
Can anyone beat Banda?
Zambia striker Barbra Banda is the stand-out contender for the women’s award – not least after being named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year.
She fired Orlando Pride to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title and was in fine goalscoring form for the Copper Queens at the Olympic Games once again.
Banda was the second-highest goalscorer in the NWSL this year, netting 17 goals.
Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy, another forward, scooped the accolade of best player at this year’s African Women’s Champions League.
The 24-year-old scored twice as her side, AS FAR, finished as runners-up.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie rounds off the nominees after being named as the best female goalkeeper in France with club side Paris FC.
Sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga were on the five-woman shortlist, but missed out on the final three.
You can rank the contenders for the women’s award below.