The 24-year-old is hoping to follow in the footsteps of two of his country's greatest footballers, Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, who between them have won the prestigious award six times.
Drogba was named African Player of the Year in 2006 and 2009, while former Manchester City midfielder Touré claimed the honour four consecutive times between 2011 and 2014.
Amad is now among the nominees for the 2026 award and says being included on the shortlist is already a source of considerable pride.
“It's something that I dream of winning one day. This year I have the privilege of being on the list of 10 players who have been nominated. I think the other players are good players who also had good seasons, so I am proud of myself,” he told Manchester United's official channels.
The winger also sees the nomination as an opportunity to inspire the next generation of Ivorian footballers. He believes the achievements of Drogba and Touré can encourage younger players to aim for the same recognition.
“Of course, when you also want to bring this joy to the Ivory Coast fans, you tell them that Touré and Drogba won the African Player of the Year award, so the new generation can do it too. The new generation can win.
“We want to give them the belief that this new generation can achieve even more. We have good players in this new generation, including Yan Diomande at Real Madrid and Christ Inao Oulai at Fiorentina. Many players. I hope that one day these players can win the African Player of the Year award.”
Amad's nomination follows an important period for both club and country. He has continued to develop into an influential attacking player at Manchester United and has also made a significant contribution to Ivory Coast's recent international campaigns.
He impressed during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, scoring three times as the Elephants reached the quarter-finals. He also made an impact at the World Cup, scoring against Ecuador and Norway.
The Manchester United forward is one of 10 players nominated for the award. The shortlist includes defending winner Achraf Hakimi, Morocco team-mate Brahim Díaz, Senegal's Sadio Mané and Pape Gueye, and Ghana international Antoine Semenyo.
Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa, Ismaïla Sarr, Ismael Saibari and South Africa's Teboho Mokoena complete the nominations.
The winner is due to be announced at a ceremony in Nigeria on December 7. Amad will be hoping his performances over the past year have done enough to earn him the biggest individual honour in African football.
For now, simply being included alongside some of the continent's leading players represents an important milestone. His ambition, however, is to join Drogba and Touré among the Ivorian winners and help convince the next generation that they can achieve the same.