March 29, 2024

Ghanaian international Kamaldeen Sulemana has been shortlisted in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Young Player of the Year Award.

The Stade Rennes winger made it to the final ten players shortlisted to compete for Africa’s most prestigious award ceremony which is expected to take place on Thursday, July 21, in Morocco.

The other contestants are Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso & Lorient), Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire & ASEC/RB Salzburg), Jesus Owono (Equatorial Guinea & Alaves), James Gomez (The Gambia & AC Horsens), Ilaix Moriba Kourouma (Guinea & Valencia), El Bilal Toure (Mali & Reims), Akinkunmi Amoo (Nigeria & FC Copenhagen), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Metz), and Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United).

Sulemana has been rated among the top ten U-23 players in Europe’s top 5 leagues, according to the CIES Football Observatory.

The 20-year-old, who is ranked 9th among the 10 most expensive U-23 players from the top 5 European leagues is valued at €33.8m.

Sulemana joined Stade Rennes last summer for €20m. He has been a revelation for the French club since joining the team in the summer of 2021/22 season.

The Ghanaian youngster made 20 appearances and scored four goals with two assists in the 2021/2022 season.

Sulemana made it to Ghana’s squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroun, his first senior tournament with the national team.Kamaldeen missed Ghana’s World Cup playoff against Nigeria in March due to injury.

Full list of nominees for 2022 CAF Awards

Player of the Year (Men)

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria & Manchester City)

Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Aston Villa)

Blati Toure (Burkina Faso & Pyramids)

Edmund Tapsoba (Burkina Faso & Bayer Leverkusen)

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon & Napoli)

Karl Toko Ekambi (Cameroon & Lyon)

Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Al Nassr)

Youssouf M’Changama (Comoros & Guingamp)

Franck Kessie (Cote d’Ivoire & AC Milan)

Sebastien Haller (Cote d’Ivoire & Ajax)

Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Mohamed Elneny (Egypt & Arsenal)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Mohamed Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Musa Barrow (Gambia & Bologna)

Naby Keita (Guinea & Liverpool)

Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)

Hamari Traore (Mali & Rennes)

Yves Bissouma (Mali & Tottenham Hotspur)

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Paris Saint-Germain)

Sofiane Boufal (Morocco & Angers)

Yahya Jabrane (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Sevilla)

Moses Simon (Nigeria & Nantes)

Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)

Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal & Napoli)

Nampalys Mendy (Senegal & Leicester City)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Bayern Munich)

Saliou Ciss (Senegal & Nancy)

Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

Riad Benayad (ES Setif)

Tiago Azulao (Petro Atletico)

Karim Konate (ASEC Mimosas)

Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly)

Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly)

Mohamed Shenawy (Al Ahly)

Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly)

Percy Tau (Al Ahly)

Morlaye Sylla (Horoya)

Achraf Dari (Wydad Athletic Club)

Yahya Jabrane (Wydad Athletic Club)

Zouhair El Moutaraji (Wydad Athletic Club)

Mouhcine Moutouali (Raja Club Athletic)

Issoufou Dayo (RS Berkane)

Youssou El Fahli (RS Berkane)

Victorien Adebayor (Niger & Union Sportive Gendarmerie Nationale)

Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Bandile Shandu (Orlando Pirates)

Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Esperance Sportive de Tunis)

Young Player of the Year (Men)

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso & Lorient)

Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire & ASEC/RB Salzburg)

Jesus Owono (Equatorial Guinea & Alaves)

James Gomez (The Gambia & AC Horsens)

Kamaldeen Sulemana (Ghana & Rennes)

Ilaix Moriba Kourouma (Guinea & Valencia)

El Bilal Toure (Mali & Reims)

Akinkunmi Amoo (Nigeria & FC Copenhagen)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Metz)

Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)

Coach of the Year (Men)

Kamou Malo (Burkina Faso)

Amir Abdou (Comoros)

Carlos Quieroz (Egypt)

Pitso Mosimane (Al Ahly)

Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)

Florent Ibenge (RS Berkane)

Vahid Halilhodzic (Morocco)

Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club)

Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

Mandla Ncikazi (Orlando Pirates)

National Team of the Year (Men)

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Comoros

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

The Gambia

Mali

Morocco

Senegal

Tunisia

Club of the Year (Men)

ES Setif (Algeria)

Petro Atletico (Angola)

TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

Al Ahly (Egypt)

Ahli Tripoli (Libya)

Al Ittihad (Libya)

Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)

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