Kudus Mohammed Left Out Of 40-Man Shortlist For 2020 Golden Boy Award

Ghana new sensation, Mohammed Kudus has been left out on the 40-man shortlist for the 2020 Golden Boy Award.

Kudus, who joined Ajax this summer was initially named among the 100 best young footballers in Europe before making the cut for the top 60.

However, the former Right to Dream Academy graduate has been left out of the 40 players shortlisted ending his chances of a possibility of winning one of Europe’s prestigious accolades.

Among the forty shortlisted players is Bayern Munich and highly-rated Canadian left-back of Ghanaian descent Alphonso Davies as well as Ghanaian-born Myron Boadu.

Spanish youngster Ansu Fati, Mason Greenwood, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland are among some top players named in the list.

Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart was the first winner 17 years ago and the former Tottenham Hotspur man was followed by Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero.

In recent times, Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling, Kylian Mbappe and Matthijs de Ligt have all won the award.

Italian newspaper, Tuttosport came up with the award in 2003 to reward the best young player (under the age of 21) in Europe.

Kudus, however, awaits his competitive debut for Dutch Club Ajax after watching the team’s League opener against Sparta Rotterdam.

• Below is the list of the players who made the list:

Marley Ake (Marseille), Adil Aouchiche (PSG), Benoît Badiashile (Monaco), Mitchel Bakker (PSG), Myron Boadu (AZ), Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes), Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Sergino Dest (Ajax), Sebastiano Esposito (Inter Milan)

Ansu Fati (FC Barcelona), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Amine Gouiri (Lyon), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), Erling Braut Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea), Mohamed Amine Ihattaren (PSV), Ozan Muhammed Kabak (Schalke 04), Dejan Kulusevski (Parma, Juventus)

Tanguy Kouassi (PSG, Bayern Munich), Fábio Silva (FC Porto), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Salzburg), Tomás Tavarez (Benfica), Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Ferrán Torres (Valencia FC), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid), Jonathan David (La Gantoise)

Tomas Esteves (FC Porto), Neco Williams (Liverpool), Rafael Camacho (Sporting CP), Marcos Antonio Marin (Dinamo Zagreb), Michael Karbownik (Legia Warsaw), Silva Rodrygo Goes (Real Madrid), Christos Tzolis (PAOK), Vladyslav Supriaha (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Dennis Borkowski (RB Leipzig), Marco Carnesecchi (Trapani, Atalanta)