Ghana’s Fast-Rising Star Shortlisted for the Golden Boy Award for 2023
Ghanaian forward Ernest Nuamah has been named as one of the nominees for the prestigious 2023 Golden Boy Award. The award recognizes the most outstanding young male footballer under the age of 21 playing in Europe during the calendar year. Nuamah’s nomination comes as a result of his impressive performances for FC Nordjaelland in the Danish Superliga.
Having emerged from the Right to Dream academy, Nuamah played a crucial role for FC Nordjaelland, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in 21 league appearances. He contributed a total of 19 goals in all competitions, despite his team narrowly missing out on the championship to FC Copenhagen.
Not only has the 19-year-old excelled at the club level, but he has also made significant contributions to the Ghanaian national team. Nuamah played a crucial role in the success of the Black Meteors, providing two crucial assists in the last round of qualifiers, which secured Ghana’s qualification for the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. This outstanding performance earned him a call-up to the senior national team, the Black Stars, and he made his debut against Madagascar in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.
Nuamah’s exceptional achievements did not go unnoticed, as he also received several individual accolades in Denmark. He was awarded the Danish Superliga Player of the Year by the league’s jury, the Spring Best Player by the Superliga head coaches, and the Player of the Year by the Superliga players. These accolades further solidify his reputation as a rising star in the football world.
Competing against other notable talents such as Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, and Spanish prodigy Pablo Gavi, Nuamah will face tough competition for the Golden Boy Award.
Another Ghanaian player who made the shortlist is Christopher Bonsu Baah, who currently plays for Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 FF. Over the past three years, Ghana has seen three of its players nominated for the award, including Mohammed Kudus and Kamaldeen Sulemana, who were both former Right to Dream and FC Nordjaelland players and made the list in 2020 and 2022 respectively. In addition, former AS Roma forward Felix Afena-Gyan was also nominated in 2022.
