Partey has been in sparkling form this year for club and country and has even earned a place in the starting line-up of Atletico Madrid.

While, Atsu has equally paid his dues to Rafael Benitez’ Newcastle United, helping them to gain promotion back to the English Premier League and is faring well in the Premier League.

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They will compete with the likes of Liverpool and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Senegal’s Sadio Mane and and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon and Borussia Dortmund for a place in the final three short list to mount the podium for the award.

Full list of nominations for the African Player of the Year:

Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)

Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Lyon)

Cedric Bakambu (DR Congo & Villareal)

Christian Atsu (Ghana & Newcastle)

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Christian Bassogog (Cameroon & Henan Jianye)

Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Eric Bailly (Cote d’Ivoire & Manchester United)

Essam El Hadary (Egypt & Al Taawoun)

Fabrice Ondoa (Cameroon & Sevilla)

Fackson Kapumbu (Zambia & Zesco)

Jean Michel Seri (Cote d’Ivoire & Nice)

Junior Kabananga (DR Congo & Astana)

Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)

Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)

Khalid Boutaib (Morocco & Yeni Malatyaspor)

Mbwana Samata (Tanzania & Genk)

Michael Olunga (Kenya & Girona)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

Moussa Marega (Mali & Porto)

Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)

Percy Tau (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & Borussia Dortmund)

Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)

Thomas Partey (Ghana & Atletico Madrid)

Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)

Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)

William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria & Bursaspor)

Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)

Youssef Msakni (Tunisia & Al Duhail)

Yves Bissouma (Mali & Lille)