The 24-year-old is one of the biggest omissions from the shortlist that was announced by CAF on Thursday, along with Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah and Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface.
The continent’s football governing body released a 10-man shortlist for the prestigious individual award, led by Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman.
The other nominees are Amine Gouiri, Edmond Tapsoba, Simon Adingra, Chancel Mbemba, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi, Soufiane Rahimi, William Troost-Ekong and Ronwen Williams.
2024 CAF Awards set to be hosted in Morocco
A statement from CAF said the awards gala will be hosted in Morocco: “The #CAFAwards24 will be hosted in the tourist city of Marrakech, Morocco, on 16 December 2024, the Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) has announced.
“This is the third time in a row Morocco is hosting the ceremony, after a glittering star-studded African fanfare last year. CAF will confirm the starting time of the #CAFAwards24 in due course.
“The CAF Awards recognise exceptional performances in both club and national competitions, culminating in the prestigious titles of CAF African Player of the Year in both men's and women's categories.”
Meanwhile, Kudus’ failure to make the shortlist could be attributed to Ghana’s poor showing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) this year, where the Black Stars exited at the group stage.
However, the former Ajax star was still one of the bright spots in the team, having netted a double on his tournament debut against Egypt.
He also enjoyed an impressive campaign at West Ham last season, where he contributed 14 goals and provided six assists in all competitions.
The favourite for the CAF Footballer of the Year, though, is Lookman, whose hat-trick powered Atalanta to the Europa League title.
The Nigeria international was also one of the best players during the AFCON as the Super Eagles reached the final, and was named in the team of the tournament.