Zambia teenage forward Patson Daka has made the final list of three players shortlisted for the CAF African Young Player of The Year Award.
The 19-year-old Daka, who plays for Austrian side FC Red Bull Salzburg, is the only Zambian on the final shortlist announced by CAF yesterday.
Others competing with him for the award are Senegalese Krepin Diatta and Salam Giddou of Mali.
Daka was instrumental in Zambia’s run to winning the Africa Under-20 championship held in Zambia and reaching the quarter-finals of the FIFA Under 20 World Cup held in South Korea.
The former Power Dynamos striker had a dream year for both the under-20 and senior Chipolopolo side in the unsuccessful 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
He scored four goals for Zambia at the U20 Africa Cup to finish as joint top scorer with compatriot Edward Chilufya ad South Africa Luther Singh.
But he picked up the main award as he was voted the player of the tournament and got signed by Red Bull Salzburg prior to the FIFA U20 World Cup in South Korea.
At the World Cup he helped Zambia reach the quarterfinals for the first time before the fairytale run was ended by Italy.
Should Daka go on to win it, he will match Clifford Mulenga who won it back in 2007.
Kalusha Bwalya still holds the record of winning the big one, the African Footballer of the Year accolade in 1988, although Christopher Katongo scooped the BBC version of the award in 2012.