The final shortlist of the coveted Confederation of African Football (CAF) Player of the Year was unveiled on Thursday, leaving two prominent names, Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey, conspicuously absent.
Despite their noteworthy contributions, the duo failed to secure a spot in the top ten.
Thomas Partey's instrumental role in steering Ghana to the 2022 World Cup and his pivotal role in Arsenal's commendable performance during the 2022/23 Premier League season seemed insufficient to earn him a coveted spot in CAF's final selection.
Similarly, Mohammed Kudus, whose stellar season with Dutch giants Ajax saw him amass an impressive tally of 18 goals and 7 assists in 42 appearances, fell short of making the cut.
Four players from Morocco are in the top 10 shortlist. CAF Technical Committee, head coaches, captains of member associations, clubs that participate in the group stage of CAF's interclub competitions, and media professionals will vote to select the winner of the Player of the Year.
Below is the final list:
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