Former Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has tipped Mohammed Kudus to win the African Player of the Year award before long.

Despite scoring 14 goals and six assists in his debut Premier League season, the West Ham star was conspicuously missing as The Confederation of African Football (CAF) released a ten-man shortlist of the best players on the continent.

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba, and South Africa’s Ronwell Williams all made the list ahead of the Black Stars forward.

Kudus enjoyed a remarkable first season with West ham

Regardless, Agyemang Badu, is confident Kudus will overcame the temporary setback to win the award in the future.

“I was hoping he would make the shortlist, but there were also many outstanding players who performed exceptionally well in Africa last year,” Agyemang-Badu told Flashscore.

“Kudus is still young and has plenty of opportunities to be crowned Africa’s best. He just needs to stay focused, keep learning, and continue to grow. His time will come—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

No Ghanaian player has won the African Player of the Year award since 1992, when Abedi Ayew took home the prize.