Today is no doubt a day of decision for Nigeria’s duo of Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nndozie who are set to be crowned African Player of the Year (men and women) categories respectively at the 2024 CAF Awards to be held this evening at the Palais des Congrés in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
Lookman’s three goals and two assists were pivotal to Nigeria reaching their eighth Africa Cup of Nations Final in Cote d’Ivoire in February, and his hat-trick in a 3-0 win handed Italian side, Atalanta FC the UEFA Europa Cup at the expense of hitherto-rampaging German side, Bayer Leverkusen in May.
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This season, he has notched 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta (including a goal against record winners Real Madrid FC in the UEFA Champions League), and scored two goals as Nigeria qualified for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals, with two other goals controversially chalked off.
None of the four other final nominees comes close. Ivorian Simon Adingra, whose remarkable second-half performance saw the Elephants overcome Nigeria in the AFCON Final in Abidjan on 11 February, cannot point to such a glittering record with English Premier League club, Brighton.
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Victory for Nigeria’s Lookman will see the country become stand-alone number two, with previous winners being Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997) and Victor Osimhen (2023).
It will also mean Lookman taking over from fellow Nigeria striker Osimhen. Cote d’Ivoire’s six have been won by Yaya Toure (quadruple) and Didier Drogba (double).
Meanwhile, in the women’s category, Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie is a worthy contender for the Player of the Year (won for the sixth time last year by compatriot Asisat Oshoala), and the gong will cap a remarkable year for the soft-spoken safe hands who helped Nigeria re-appear at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years, was key to the Falcons’ qualification for next year’s AFCON and drew rave reviews all around with French club, Paris FC. She is in competition with Moroccan Sanâa Mssoudy and Zambian Barbra Banda.
Nnadozie is also in contention to retain her Goalkeeper of the Year award, with Andile Dlamini (South Africa) and Khadija Er-Rmichi as contenders.
Nigerians in award categories
Men’s Player of the Year (Ademola Lookman)
Women’s Player of the Year (Chiamaka Nnadozie)
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Chiamaka Nnadozie)
Women’s Young Player of the Year (Chiamaka Okwuchukwu)
Men’s National Team of the Year (Super Eagles)
Women’s National Team of the Year (Super Falcons)
Women’s Club of the Year (Edo Queens)
