Noah Sadiki rewarded for Premier League form as Sunderland share announcement
Regis Le Bris will be delighted with how Noah Sadiki has settled into life at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland signed Sadiki in the summer after identifying him as the ideal midfielder to fit their needs, following Jobe Bellingham's Stadium of Light exit.
So far, Sadiki has impressed for Sunderland and was in the heart of the Black Cats' midfield in a 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday.
Sadiki has helped Sunderland to four Premier League wins this season, as the tally has already surpassed Southampton's two wins last year, and levelled Ipswich Town's in just eight games.
After starting all eight games for Sunderland in the Premier League, the Mackems have been delighted to share some positive news about their African midfielder.
Sunderland's Noah Sadiki nominated for Young African Player of the Year
Sadiki features regularly for his home nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will also feature in some big games in their upcoming AFCON tournament.
Following Sadiki's impressive performances for club and country, the 20-year-old has now received a nomination for the Young African Player of the Year award for 2025.
- Sadiki has played 11 times for the Democratic Republic of Congo
- He once represented Belgium U19s
- The midfielder has already played a total of 712 minutes of Premier League football this season
- According to Sofascore, Sadiki has an average rating of 6.70 this season
Sunderland released an official statement on Wednesday, which detailed the other players that Sadiki faces in competition to win the prize.
The statement said: "Sadiki has been nominated for the award alongside Asharaf Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Alynho Haidara (Ivory Coast), Abdellah Ouazane, Houssam Essadak, Othmane Maamma (Morocco), Daniel Bayemi (Nigeria), Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone), Mbekezile Mbokazi and Tylon Smith (South Africa).
"Best of luck, Noah."
Sadiki's performances have earned this nomination, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him win it. But with how he's performing, Sunderland may struggle in his absence when AFCON starts.
Sunderland could lose Sadiki for six games during AFCON
The 2025 AFCON is set to commence on 21 December 2025, with the competition running until 18 January 2026.
During that period, Sadiki could miss a total of six Premier League games for Sunderland if his nation were to reach the final.
| Game | Date |
| Brighton vs Sunderland | 20 December |
| Sunderland vs Leeds | 27 December |
| Sunderland vs Manchester City | 30 December |
| Tottenham vs Sunderland | 3 Janauary |
| Brentford vs Sunderland | 7 January |
| Sunderland vs Crystal Plaace | 17 January |
Despite the Democratic Republic of Congo's first game being on 23 December, Sadiki will need to plan travel before the competition, meaning he will likely miss Sunderland's clash with Brighton the day before.
Sunderland have started the Premier League extremely well, but Le Bris will have to hope his men can keep the form, as Sadiki will be a huge miss during a vital period.
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