HFX Wanderers midfielder Aboubacar Sissoko is the best male athlete in Canadian university sports.
On Thursday, the 24-year-old Sissoko won the 2020 Lieutenant Governor Athletic Award as the U SPORTS male athlete of the year after leading the University of Montreal Carabins to a 9-1-2 record last season.
Sissoko, who was earlier named RSEQ and U SPORTS men’s soccer player of the year, helped the team reach the finals at the 2019 national championship tournament in his hometown of Montreal.
He was also a key fixture in the Carabins’ national championship win (the first in the program’s history) in 2018.
Congratulations Aboubacar Sissoko of the @Carabins, your 2020 U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year 🏆 / Félicitations à Aboubacar Sissoko des @Carabins, votre Athlète masculin de l’année U SPORTS 2020 🏆#ChaseTheGlory | #ViserHaut | @LtGovAB2 | @DougandLois pic.twitter.com/Ph5pGfa8uO
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) June 26, 2020
Sissoko is the first soccer player to be named U SPORTS male athlete of the year in 20 years, and only the second ever.
The defensive midfielder was signed by the Wanderers this past off-season, but he was originally selected 12th overall by Forge FC in the 2018 CPL-U SPORTS Draft.
This past winter, Sissoko was invited to go on trial with the Vancouver Whitecaps during their pre-season camp, although ultimately he returned to Halifax and rejoined the Wanderers.
Sissoko has earned two caps with Mali’s under-20 national team.
Kelsey Wog from the University of Manitoba Bisons swimming squad was Thursday’s other winner of the 2020 Lieutenant Governor Athletic Award, as the U SPORTS female athlete of the year.