Ghana and Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has been named among 34 nominees for the 2018 CAF African Player of the Year award.

CAF announced the list for the prestigious award on Friday with Partey the only Ghanaian. 

This comes after being shortlisted for the BBC African Footballer of the Year award for 2018. 

The Black Stars ace has been recognised following an impressive year with both club and country. 

The 25-year-old helped Diego Simeone's side to win the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. 

He captained Ghana in friendlies against Japan and Iceland in the summer and has become the driving attacking force in the team.

The tall list will be pruned down to three before the awards ceremony, which will take place in Dakar, Senegal on 8 January.

Liverpool and Egypt superstar Mohamed Salah won the award last year following his impressive exploits for club and country.

Full nominees list:

1. Abdelmoumene Djabou (Algeria & ES Setif)

2. Ahmed Gomaa (Egypt & El Masry)

3. Ahmed Musa (Nigeria & Al-Nassr )

4. Alex Iwobi (Nigeria & Arsenal)

5. Andre Onana (Cameroon & Ajax)

6. Anis Badri (Tunisia & Esperance)

7. Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco & Hebei China Fortune)

8. Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)

9. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

10. Fanev Andriatsima (Madagascar & Clermont Foot)

11. Franck Kom (Cameroon & Esperance)

12. Jacinto Muondo Dala ‘Gelson’ (Angola & Primeiro de Agosto)

13. Hakim Ziyech (Morocco & Ajax)

14. Idrissa Gueye (Senegal & Everton)

15. Ismail Haddad (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

16. Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele (DR Congo & AS Vita)

17. Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)

18. Mahmoud Benhalib (Morocco & Raja Club Athletic)

19. Mehdi Benatia (Morocco & Juventus)

20. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

21. Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)

22. Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)

23. Odion Ighalo (Nigeria & Changchun Yatai, Nigeria)

24. Percy Tau (South Africa & Union Saint-Gilloise)

25. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Arsenal)

26. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)

27. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

28. Taha Khenissi (Tunisia & Esperance)

29. Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)

30. Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia & Saint-Étienne)

31. Walid Soliman (Egypt & Ahly)

32. Wilfried Zaha (Cote d’Ivoire & Crystal Palace)

33. Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)

34. Youcef Belaili (Algeria & Esperance)