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. 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.

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