Nigerian duo Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie have secured spots on the final shortlist for the CAF Player of the Year awards in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
Additionally, Nigeria’s national teams, the Super Eagles and Super Falcons, have advanced to the final three for the Team of the Year award in their respective categories, as announced in the shortlist released on Thursday.
Ademola Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A, made headlines last season after scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final to help his club clinch the title.
He was also pivotal as the Super Eagles narrowly lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
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Lookman was later named in the Team of the Tournament for his performances.
He will compete against South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Cote d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, and Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy for the men’s award.
On the women’s side, Chiamaka Nnadozie is aiming for double honors in the CAF awards. The Paris FC goalkeeper is in pole position to retain the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and is also in contention for Women’s Player of the Year, alongside Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Babra Banda.
The Super Eagles are in the running for the Men’s Team of the Year, competing against Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa.
They were runners-up in the 2023 AFCON and have qualified for the 2025 edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Super Falcons are competing for Women’s Team of the Year alongside South Africa and Morocco.
Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, a star for the Falconets and Rivers Angels, has also made the shortlist for the Women’s Young Player of the Year award.
She is joined by Asfar’s Doha El Madani and FC Masar’s Habiba Sabry. Okwuchukwu impressed at the FIFA U-20 Women’s Cup, scoring twice and providing an assist as the Falconets exited in the round of 16.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s Edo Queens are on the final shortlist for the Women’s Club of the Year award, competing against Morocco’s Asfar and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
The 2024 CAF Awards are set to take place on Monday in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen currently holds the CAF Men’s Player of the Year title, while Asisat Oshoala is the reigning Women’s Player of the Year.
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