The Liverpool forwards, who helped win the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night, are joined by Manchester City and Algeria attacker Riyad Mahrez.
The winner – to be decided by head coaches/technical directors and captains of the senior national teams from the organisation’s member associations – will be announced at the CAF Awards in Egypt on January 7.
Salah has collected the African Player of the Year accolade in each of the past two years.