Ivorian international, Nicolas Pépé has won the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé RFI – FRANCE 24 Best African player playing in the France Ligue 1 during the 2018-2019 season. The trophy was presented to the Lille LOSC striker by Alejandro Valente, head of sports at RFI, on Thursday, May 16, at the club’s headquarters.

Pépé leads the standings ahead of Tunisia’s striker Wahbi Khazri (AS Saint Etienne) and the Senegalese striker Ismaila Sarr (Stade Rennais).

He was nominated by a jury of experts and journalists from French African football from a list of 11 players previously established by RFI sports services and France 24.

The 23-year-old, formed in Angers SCO, began his professional career in 2014 at the age of 19 in Ligue 2. In July 2017, he signed with Lille in Ligue 1, played 36 matches and scored 13 goals last season. Since the beginning of the season in Lille, Nicolas Pépé participated in 36 matches and scored 20 goals.

Since 2011, the award for best African player in Ligue 1 was renamed after Marc-Vivien Foé, in tribute to the Cameroonian player who died suddenly during a match at the Gerland stadium in Lyon on June 26, 2003.

LIST OF PREVIOUS WINNERS:

2009: Marouane Chamakh (Morocco)

2010: Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2011: Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2012: Younes Belhanda (Morocco)

2013: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

2014: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)

2015: André Ayew (Ghana)

2016: Sofiane Boufal (Morocco)

2017: Jean Michael Seri (Ivory Coast)

2018: Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon)