There is no place for Napoli's Victor Osimhen in the 30-man shortlist for this year's African player of the year award released by CAF on Thursday.
However, there's a place for Moses Simon, who is Nigeria's only representative on the list. Simon was rewarded for his excellent form for both club and country.
The 26-year-old was arguably Nigeria's best player at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, although the three-time African champions crashed out in the round of sixteen.
Simon earns CAF recognition
At the club level, Simon was one of Nantes' best players last season. The ex-Levante man scored six goals and registered eight assists in 30 Ligue 1 games for the Canaries, while he also played a vital role in their Coupe de France success.
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He has been linked with many clubs, with Newcastle and Brighton reportedly interested.
However, while Simon was nominated, Osimhen was not included despite his excellent displays for Napoli in the just-concluded season.
No place for Osimhen
The 23-year-old scored 18 goals in all competitions for the Neapolitans, including 14 in the Italian Serie A, but it was not good enough to earn him a spot on the nominees' list.
Osimhen was also Nigeria's best player during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, scoring four goals in the second round, but it was not enough to earn him a nomination.
The 30 players nominated were selected from 13 countries, with usual suspects like Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane headlining the list.
There's also a spot for AFCON topscorer Vincent Aboubakar while Ivory Coast's Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller were also included.
The Teranga Lions of Senegal have the highest number of representatives on the list, with five players, followed by Morroco and Egypt, who both have four players each.
The award will take place in Morocco on July 21, just before the final of the Africa Women's Cup of Nations.
Full 30-man list.
- 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 Aboubacar (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)