West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has expressed confidence that his teammate Mohammed Kudus has the potential to be crowned Africa’s best footballer.
“With Mo’s [Mohammed Kudus] talent, there’s a 100% chance that he can win [African Footballer of the Year],” Antonio said during an interview on *Prime Take* with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai.
Kudus, 24, has been a key figure for the Black Stars since his debut in November 2019 against South Africa, where he scored. To date, he has earned 38 caps, scoring eight goals, including two each in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.
In club football, Kudus has made a strong impression in the English Premier League, appearing 41 times for West Ham United and netting 10 goals. Despite his achievements, he did not make the shortlist for this year’s CAF African Player of the Year, a title currently dominated by elite players like Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.
“Obviously, there are some great potentials there. There’s [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang, there’s Mo Salah, there’s [Sadio] Mané, and there’s definitely Kudus, but I believe he has the talent to do it,” Antonio noted.
The West Ham all-time leading goalscorer stressed that while Kudus possesses the necessary skills, collective support is crucial for individual accolades.
“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 remarked.
“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 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,” Antonio added.
Kudus continues to be a standout talent, and with the right team and performances, he could soon join the ranks of Africa’s footballing greats.
