Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman on Monday scooped the Africa Player of the Year award at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lookman was the biggest winner at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, as Africa’s best performers for the year were honoured.

The glittering ceremony was attended by football royalty from the continent and beyond.

It was 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.

The award for the Super Eagles winger is coming less than 33 months after he won his first cap for Nigeria at international level.

The 27-year-old won the FIFA U17 World Cup with England before committing his future to Nigeria, and helped steer the Super Eagles to the runner-up position at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier this year.

 

Also, he was key to Italian side Atalanta FC winning the UEFA Europa Cup last season, and this year, has scored 11 goals and notched five assists for the same club in 18 games across all competitions.

Lookman’s triumph was the big cake for Nigeria following goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie’s retention of the Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Nigeria’s Nnadozie claimed the 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 2023/2024.

This was as the Super Falcons again won the Women’s National Team of the Year award just as they did last year.

Gusau, who collected the Women’s National Team of the Year award on behalf of the Falcons, dedicated the prize to Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and pledged that his administration will continue to support women’s football in all its ramifications.

Nigeria’s five-time Olympian and Olympic bronze-medallist Mary Onyali, former Nigeria international striker Obafemi Martins and 1996 Olympic women’s long jump gold winner Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah were among the stars of the night as they presented awards.

 

Four Super Falcons, namely Michelle Alozie, Osinachi Ohale, Rasheedat Ajibade and Asisat Oshoala made the CAF Best 11 Women for 2024, while last year’s Player of the Year winner Victor Osimhen and new King Lookman made the Best 11 Men roster.

Zambia striker Barbra Banda and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams were the other big winners on the night.

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 Paris Olympics 2024 was her third in Olympic Games football, an all-time 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.

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