West Ham United striker Michail Antonio believes his teammate Mohammed Kudus has the potential to win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award in the future.
Kudus, 24, has been a standout performer since making his debut for Ghana’s Black Stars in November 2019, scoring in his first appearance against South Africa.
To date, he has earned 38 caps, netting eight goals, including two each in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Ghana international had an impressive first season in the Premier League, making 41 appearances for West Ham United and scoring 10 goals.
Antonio is confident in Kudus’ abilities and spoke highly of his potential.
“With Mo’s [Mohammed Kudus] talent, there’s a 100% chance that he can win [African Footballer of the Year],” Antonio said in an interview with Joy Sports.
Although Kudus did not make this year’s CAF shortlist for the award, Antonio acknowledged the stiff competition from established stars like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mané.
“Obviously, there are some great potentials there. There’s [Pierre] Aubameyang, there’s Mo Salah, there’s [Sadio] Mane, and there’s definitely Kudus, but I believe he has the talent to do it.”
However, Antonio pointed out that individual success often hinges on team performance.
He noted that while Ghana has a rich footballing history, the current team needs to raise its level to help players like Kudus shine on the international stage.
“It’s just that he needs the surroundings of his team to help him to do it, and right now, Ghana isn’t at that quality,” he noted.
“Ghana has a quality past and quality history, but right now, they’re not doing as well as they feel like they should be doing.”
For Kudus to secure Africa’s top individual accolade, Antonio believes both the player and the national team must strive for greater achievements.
“For him [Kudus] to achieve that [win the African Player of the Year], I feel he and Ghana, as a team, have to do more for that to happen,” he added.
