Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have been nominated for the CAF Player and Keeper of the Year awards, respectively.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled the final five-man shortlist for the upcoming CAF Awards 2024, scheduled for December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lookman, Atalanta’s Europa League hero, is favored to win the Men’s Player of the Year Award, following his impressive performance for club and country. He scored three goals at the 2023 AFCON tournament and netted a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final. This season, he has eight goals and five assists in 14 games.
Other nominees for the award include Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
Nwabali, Chippa United goalkeeper, will compete with Williams, Manchester United’s Andre Onana, Ivory Coast’s Yahia Fofana, and Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir for the goalkeeper’s award.
Defender William Troost-Ekong, AFCON 2023 MVP, and former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro were surprisingly left out of the final shortlist.
Nigeria in Contention for National Team Award
Nigeria remains in the running for the National Team of the Year award, alongside Ivory Coast, DR Congo, South Africa, and Sudan.
CAF also revealed nominees for Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Club of the Year, totaling seven categories in the men’s section.
The 2024 CAF Awards cover performances between January and October 2024.
