Kudus, Partey and Nuamah nominated for CAF awards

The Confederation of Africa Football, CAF, has announced the list of nominees for this year’s CAF awards gala scheduled for December. The event which celebrates top footballers, coaches and clubs from Africa is Africa’s biggest sports awards gala. Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus makes the list alongside Thomas Partey.

Kudus who traded Ajax in the Eredivisie for Arsenal in the English Premier League over the summer is among two Ghanaians nominated for the top category. Thomas Partey joins Kudus on the list after a stellar season with the Gunners that saw them come close to winning the league title.

Their presence is an upgrade for the country following the complete absence in the last edition that was won by Senegalese star Sadio Mane. The Ghanaian duo are facing off with regular faces and former winners Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah and 26 others for the gong. Kudus, 23, is taking to life in English football already and will be hoping that his scintillating performance for Ajax in the previous season would boost his chances of winning the prize.

Also in the running for a prize this year is Ernest Nuamah who plays for French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais from Belgian side RWD Molenbeek. The 19-year-old winger is in the running for the Young Player of the Year. He will have to beat Nigeria’s Gift Orban, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli of Morocco and Real Betis, and Dango Ouattara of Burkina Faso and Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, CAF has introduced a new category, Goalkeeper of the Year for both the men’s and women’s categories. The men’s category will be contested by 10 goalkeepers who ply their trade both within and outside the continent. Notable names included in the maiden edition are Edouard Mendy of Senegal who now plays for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and Andre Onana of Manchester United and Cameroon. Others include Morocco and Al Hilal’s Yassine Bounou, Mohamed ElShenawy of Egypt and Al Ahly as well as Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns’s shot-stopper Ronwen Williams.