Ghanaian star Mohammed Kudus has been omitted from the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award shortlist, which was announced on Thursday.
Kudus, whose stellar season for both his club and national team had many anticipating a nomination, was left out of the final list of 10 players.
This comes despite his impressive contributions at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored twice against Egypt and secured Man of the Match honors twice.
His debut season with West Ham was equally remarkable, with Kudus netting eight Premier League goals and five in the Europa League.
The CAF list also saw the exclusion of reigning champion Victor Osimhen, along with fellow Nigerian standout Victor Boniface, who clinched the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was another surprising omission.
The selected nominees include Edmond Tapsoba, Amine Gouiri, Chancel Mbemba, Simon Adingra, and Achraf Hakimi, as well as Soufiane Rahimi, Ademola Lookman, William Troost-Ekong, and Ronwen Williams.
Lookman stands out as a strong contender after his Europa League final hat-trick led Atalanta to victory.
The prestigious 2024 CAF Awards will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16, marking the third consecutive year the event takes place in the country.