The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has named Nigeria International striker, Ademola Lookman in its final top five shortlist for the prestigious 2024 African Footballer of the Year award. This is even as the Super Eagles of Nigeria has been shortlisted for the best national team for the award.
From the CAF shortlist, Nigerian national team goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali is picked alongside South Africa’s Ronwen Williams’ Cameroon’s Andre Onana, Ivorian Yahia Fofana and Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir for best goalkeeper category.
Listed alongside Lookman are the Cote d’Ivoire’s striker Simon Adingra as well as Guinea’s striker, Serhou Guirassy. The Moroccan defender, Achraf Hakimi who missed out on the top prize in 2023 to Victor Osimhen of Nigeria has also been shortlisted.
The final top five in all the men’s categories were revealed by the Communications Department of the CAF on Monday.
It stated inter alia: “The glittering ceremony designed to celebrate African football excellence recognizes exceptional performances in both club and national competitions. Culminating in the prestigious titles of CAF African Player of the Year in both the men’s and women’s categories.
“A total of seven (7) categories have been confirmed by CAF in the Men’s Category of the awards. Shortlisting the five top performing players, coaches and teams in each of the categories.
“The CAF Awards 2024 cover the period between January 2024 and October 2024.”
While Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong missed on the final list of five for the Footballer of the Year prize, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made the shortlist of five in in the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year Category where. He will battle it out with Ronwen Williams, Cameroon’s Andre Onana , Ivorian Yahia Fofana and Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir
If Lookman is picked as the best footballer, he would have succeeded his compatriot, Osimhen. His choice would not come as a surprise, given his superlative performances in the period under review.
Last month, the 27-year-old Atalanta forward was voted the 14th best player in the 2024 Ballon d’Or in Paris. And few weeks later, he was also shortlisted among 30 footballer for the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards men’s best player prize to be held in Dubai on December 29.
Incidentally, the 2024 edition of the CAF Awards is set to take place on December 16th in Marrakech, Morocco. That was the venue where Nigeria claimed four awards including the Men (Osimhen) and Women (Oshoala) Footballer of the Year. As well as Women’s Goalkeeper of the year (Chiamaka Nnadozie) and the Women’s National Team of the Year award (Super Falcons) .
Aside Lookman and Nwabali, the Nigerian Super Eagles are also in contention for the National Team of the Year award.
Read list of players nominated for the awards:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton & Hove Albion)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Andre Onana (Cameroon / Manchester United)
Yahia Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire / Angers SCO)
Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)
Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria / Chippa United)
Ronwen Wlliams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Issoufou Dayo (Burkina Faso / RS Berkane)
Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ (Egypt / Zamalek)
Hussein El Shahat (Egypt / Al Ahly)
Ronwen Wlliams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Pedro Goncalves (Angola)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
Sebastien Desabre (DR Congo)
Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)
Hugo Broos (South Africa)
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire / Salzburg)
Oumar Diakite (Cote d’Ivoire / Reims)
Yankuba Minteh (Gambia / Brighton & Hove Albion)
Eliesse Ben Seghir (Morocco / AS Monaco)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Al Ahly (Egypt)
Zamalek (Egypt)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
Victor Osimhen celebrating a goal. Super Eagles of Nigeria
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Cote d’Ivoire
DR Congo
Nigeria
South Africa
Sudan
source: The Nation
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