CAF AWARDS
Too close to call as CAF retains five nominees
And so, the suspense lingers! The world will have to wait till 16 December 9 to know the top three in the prime award of the 2024 CAF Awards – Africa Footballer of the Year.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a press release on Thursday night admitted that there is so little to choose in the voting between the remaining nominees in the race for the coveted Men’s Player of the Year at the 2024 CAF Awards.
The shortlist was expected to be pruned to three. But the “organisers have kept intact the full list of five names ahead of the ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday.”
It was also suggested that the retaining of the five “adds to the suspense on the evening in what has been one of the most closely fought contests in the history of the Award, with five outstanding candidates hoping to write their names into the rich history of football on the continent.”
The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony takes place at the Palais des Congrès and will kick off at 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT/ 20:00 Cairo time/ 21:00 East African time).
The five contestants in alphabetical order of their nationalities are:
SIMON ADINGRA (COTE D’IVOIRE)
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion, England
Winger Adingra was a key figure for Cote d’Ivoire in their rollercoaster run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in February.
He scored a 90th minute equaliser in an extra-time victory against Mali in the quarter-finals and provided two assists in the final against Nigeria as The Elephants put behind them a difficult start to the campaign to lift the trophy. He was named Best Young Player at the tournament.
The 22-year-old has also been a key performer for Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this calendar year, part of an exciting and talented young squad of players.
SERHOU GUIRASSY (GUINEA)
Club: Borussia Dortmund, Germany
Guirassy scored a remarkable 30 goals in as many games for German Bundesliga side Stuttgart in the 2023-24 season and has carried on that form following a move to Borussia Dortmund for the new campaign.
His tally of 28 Bundesliga goals in the season beat Stuttgart’s previous record of 25, set by Mario Gómez in the 2008-09. Only Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane managed more goals than Guirassy in the campaign.
The 28-year-old scored 23 goals for club and country in the period under review (January-October 2024), including a hat-trick for Guinea against Ethiopia in the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers, and two more a week later against the same opponents.
ACHRAF HAKIMI (MOROCCO)
Club: Paris Saint-Germain, France
Hakimi has long been one of the most consistent right-backs in European football and had an excellent year for Paris Saint-Germain, who he helped win a third French Ligue 1 title in a row last season.
PSG did the ‘Double’ with victory in the Coupe de France final over Lyon in May, while Hakimi also helped Morocco to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
With his quality and leadership, he remains a key figure for the Morocco national team and played in 14 internationals in 2024, scoring at the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (NIGERIA)
Club: Atalanta, Italy
Lookman has been in the form of his life in 2024, helping turn his Italian Serie A side Atalanta into title contenders and taking them to a UEFA Europa League trophy win, a first major piece of silverware for the club in 61 years.
The 27-year-old scored a hat-trick in the decider as Atalanta became the only team in the 2023-24 campaign to inflict a defeat on German Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen as the forward provided one of the great final displays in European football history.
Lookman also helped Nigeria to the final of theAfrica Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, where they lost to the hosts. His displays, and three goals, did not go unnoticed as he was named in the Team of the Tournament.
RONWEN WILLIAMS (SOUTH AFRICA)
Club: Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa
Goalkeeper Williams’ spectacular penalty saves at the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will live long in the memory as he captained South Africa to the bronze medal.
Along the way they beat more fancied Morocco in the round of 16, before Williams’ shoot-out heroics saw the side past Cape Verde and DR Congo. He also helped Bafana Bafana qualify for Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2025 and was a nominee for FIFA’s Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper in 2024.
The 32-year-old helped his club Mamelodi Sundowns set a joint record low of 11 goals conceded in 30 games in the South African Premiership as The Brazilians romped to a record-extending seventh domestic league title in succession.
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BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU.
The National Chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) Samuel Ikpea has described the newly crowned African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman as a living legend.
Ikpea who lauded the Atalanta and Super Eagles forward following his emergence as the CAF African footballer of the year in Morocco on Monday night said only a legend could accomplish such a feat.
“Lookman has proved to be a legend,” Ikpea remarked.” He has done what Emmanuel Amuneke and Victor Ikpeba did in 1994 and 1997 respectively when they both took over from their compatriot”.
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Amuneke took over from Yekini who won it in 1993 while Ikpeba took over from Kanu who won it in 1996.
Ikpea remarked that such back-to-back victories by Nigeria are remarkable.
“This is the third time this feat has been accomplished and it is good for the image of Nigeria.
“If our players continue like this it will further boost the morale of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club and we shall continue to be proud of our teams” Ikpea posited.
Ikpea who had earlier congratulated Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie for retaining her title and four other Super Falcons players for making the CAF XI also charged the trio of NFF President, the NSC Chairman and his DG to see this accomplishment as an opportunity to bring their wisdom and technical expertise into play and develop Nigeria football.
“I will describe the combination of Gusau, Dikko and Olopade as that of the Three Wise Men, they should therefore put heads together and move our football forward because our players are now making waves on the continent” he concluded.
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Newly African soccer king, Ademola Lookman has advised those who may be facing challenges in the realisation of their dreams to remain calm and focused.
“Four years ago, my career felt down but now I’m here as the best player in Africa. Don’t let your failures stop your dreams”, Reuters quoted Lookman as saying.
“This award is a blessing, to be recognised as best player in Africa is something incredible,” he said.
He was named ahead ofMorocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Serhou Guirassy of Guinea, Simon Adingra from the Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The award is voted for by a panel that includes national team coaches and captains, but no details of the voting tallies were immediately provided.
Lookman is the seventh Nigerian to take the award and succeeds last year’s winner Victor Osimhen.
Nwankwo Kanu (twice), Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba and Rashidi Yekini are the other previous Nigerian winners.
Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, Zambia striker Barbra Banda and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams were the big winners at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday as Africa’s best performers for the year were honoured.
The glittering ceremony was attended by football royalty from the continent and beyond in a celebration of the incredible growth and development of the game in Africa, and the astonishing strides that have been made in men’s and women’s football in recent years.
Lookman was named CAF Men’s Player of the Year after a sensational 12 months with Italian side Atalanta and the Nigeria’s Super Eagles follows in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, who claimed the award in 2023.
It is the first time Nigeria has had back-to-back winners in the Men’s award since Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were honoured almost three decades ago.
Banda took the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the United States by storm as she helped Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship, scoring the decisive goal in the final against Washington Spirit.
Her hat trick for Zambia at the Paris Olympics 2024 was her third in Olympic Games football, a record in the competition, elevating her to among the greats to have played the game.
Banda became the first player from Africa to be included in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 in 2024.
Williamswas the only double winner on the night, collecting the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year awards.
His spectacular penalty saves at the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will live long in the memory, including four in the quarter-final shootout win against Cape Verde as he captained South Africa to the bronze medal.
The 32-year-old helped his club Mamelodi Sundowns set a joint record low of just 11 goals conceded in 30 games in the South African Premiership as they eased to a seventh domestic league title in succession.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie claimed the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row having had another outstanding season for French side Paris FC, where she was named Première Ligue Goalkeeper of the Season for 2023-24.
AS FAR and Morocco international forward Sanaâ Mssoudy won the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year having claimed the Best Player award at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco was the Men’s Young Player of the Year as the versatile box-to-box midfielder shone for club and country with his dynamic displays.
Doha El Madani of AS FAR and Morocco won the Women’s Young Player of the Year as the 19-year-old secured the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League with six goals in five matches.
The Men’s Coach of the Year went to Emerse Fae after he led Cote d’Ivoire from the brink of elimination to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in one of the great global sports stories of 2024.
Moroccan tactician Lamia Boumehdi was named Women’s Coach of the Year as she led TP Mazembe from the DR Congo to the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League title with a win over AS FAR in the decider.
Cote d’Ivoire’s continental crown saw them named Men’s National Team of the Year, while Nigeria’s Super Falcons were the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Al Ahly’s fourth CAF Champions League win in five years made them worthy winners of Men’s Club of the Year, while TP Mazembe took home the Women’s Club of the Year.
Goal of the Year was won by Angola’s Mabululu for his audacious finish against Namibia at the continental finals in Cote d’Ivoire. This was the only award voted for by fans.
In line with the commitment of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe at last year’s event, match officials were also honoured at the 2024 CAF Awards, Mutaz Ibrahim of Libya was named Men’s Referee of the Year, while Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi was Women’s Referee of the Year.
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue of Cameroon was awarded Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year and Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha the Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year.
The Men’s CAF-FIFPRO Africa Best XIfor Men and women were also named and honoured the top performers from the continent in each position.
2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)
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