Winner to be decided by club technical leadership and media voting, to be announced during 2024 CPL Awards ceremony on Nov. 7
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Premier League announced on Tuesday the nominees for this year’s Best Canadian Under-21 Player award, honouring the best domestic player aged 21 or younger during the 2024 regular season.
York United FC’s Noah Abatneh, 20; Pacific FC’s Emil Gazdov, 21; and Forge FC’s Kwasi Poku, 21, are nominated for the award in 2024. The winner will be decided through voting by technical leadership from all eight CPL clubs as well as by select media members, representing local and national outlets, who consistently covered the 2024 CPL regular season. The winner will be revealed at an in-person ceremony in Calgary, Alta. on Thursday, Nov. 7 as part of the 2024 CPL Final festivities.
The 2024 CPL Awards ceremony will be streamed on CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca and broadcast live on dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT. The show will be hosted by Andi Petrillo with appearances by current and former CPL players and coaches, as well as special guests from the Canadian soccer community.
Voting for the CPL’s Best Canadian Under-21 Player award is based on performances during the 2024 CPL regular season, not including Canadian Championship, Concacaf Champions Cup or 2024 CPL Playoffs action.
Abatneh became a steady presence in York United’s backline in 2024 after breaking into the professional game with his hometown CPL club in 2023. His sophomore year with the squad saw Abatneh finish second among all U-21 domestic players by competing in 22 CPL matches during the regular season. His strong positioning and ability to win aerial duels in the box meant Abatneh finished the season ranked second in blocks (9) and clearances (40) and third in aerial duels won (23) among all U-21 Canadian players in the CPL. Abatneh stood out for his prowess at multiple positions across the backline and for his confidence on the ball, both of which contributed to his becoming one to watch in the CPL in 2024 and earning a first nomination for Best Canadian U-21 Player.
Already regarded as one of the top up-and-coming players in the CPL heading into the season, Gazdov took another step forward as a leader within Pacific’s setup in 2024. He led all U-21 Canadian players in the CPL by logging 1,729 minutes and finished the regular season tied for second among CPL goalkeepers with seven shutouts. Gazdov conceded just 0.94 goals per 90 minutes, which ranked second among CPL goalkeepers with at least 10 starts, and faced the third most shots per 90 minutes (12.28) among keepers with at least 10 starts. His 72.31 save percentage ranked third among keepers with at least 10 starts. This is Gazdov’s first nomination for the Best Canadian U-21 Player award; the native of Vancouver, B.C. also earned his first Golden Glove nomination, for best goalkeeper, in 2024, which was announced on Monday.
Poku spent much of 2024 with Forge, making 17 regular-season appearances for the club this year, before earning a league-record transfer to RWD Molenbeek in late August. He thrived for Forge this season in part because of a positional change to striker in May. Poku scored eight goals, added two assists and created 14 chances in CPL regular season play. One of the most prolific attackers of the 2024 regular season despite playing his final match for Forge on Aug. 8, Poku finished the year tied for first in goals per 90 minutes (0.57) among CPL players with at least 350 minutes played and ranked second in goal contributions per 90 minutes (0.72) among all CPL players. This is the native of Brampton, Ont.’s second consecutive nomination for the CPL’s Best Canadian U-21 Player award, after Poku was shortlisted for the honour in 2023.
The winner of the Best Canadian Under-21 Player will be awarded a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceived by artist Taqialuk Nuna and carved by artist Ruben Komangapik. The Polar Bear statue is awarded annually to the CPL’s Best Canadian Under-21 Player because, like a developing player, the animal grows from a playful young cub to one of the most respected and formidable animals roaming Canada’s North.
OneSoccer is available as an affordable streaming service through the OneSoccer.ca website, via Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV devices, on streaming service fuboTV Canada and with the OneSoccer app for iOS and Android devices. It is also available as a linear channel on Optik TV (Channel 980), the pay-TV service operated by TELUS. Channel 980 is currently available to all Telus Optik TV customers through a Free Preview, which runs from Monday, Oct. 14 to Wednesday, Nov. 20.