Ademola Lookman, the Italian Atalanta forward, has been crowned the CAF African Footballer of the Year on Monday at an awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lookman now succeeds fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen of Turkish Galatasaray as the winner of the prestigious award, first officially handed out by CAF in 1992.
Lookman, 27, scored a hat trick in the Europa League final to earn the Serie A club its first-ever European silverware and only the second major trophy in its 117-year history.
The Nigerian Prince is officially crowned 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆. 🇳🇬👑 #CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/FPKXp8JovR
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 16, 2024
The former RB Leipzig, Leicester and Fulham forward also scored three times as Nigeria reached the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were edged out by Sebastian Haller’s late goal for the Ivory Coast in the final.
Lookman scored 17 goals and contributed ten assists in 45 games across all competitions for Atalanta in the 2023-24 season and has made a similarly productive start to this campaign, finding the net 11 times in 19 club games as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team sit two points clear of Napoli at the summit of Serie A.
“This award is a blessing. To be recognised as the best player in Africa is something incredible,” Lookman said as he picked up the trophy.
He came on stage, elegantly dressed in a flowing Yoruba agbada, with the cap to fit.
“Four years ago, my career fell, but now I’m here as the best player in Africa. Don’t let your failures stop your dreams.”
The other nominees for the gong were Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy, and Brighton’s Ivorian winger Simon Adingra.
Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Riyad Mahrez have all claimed the prize in recent years. Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure share the record for the most wins, each picking up the award four times.
Best Female Footballer
Zambia’s Barbra Banda won the CAF Female Footballer of the Year prize.
The 24-year-old was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as she fired her team Orlando Pride to a first title.
The striker’s 17 goals saw her finish second in the scoring charts—behind only Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga—with her most crucial strike coming in the Championship final as Pride beat Washington Spirit 1-0.
Banda was also in fine form for her country at the Paris Olympics. Her 10 goals spread across two Games made her the leading African scorer in Olympic history.
Her triumph ends Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala’s hold on the trophy. Ms Asisat, of Bay FC and former Barcelona star, held the title for five of the last six years.
Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadozie picked up the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. The Nigerian footballer plays for Première Ligue club Paris FC and the Nigeria women’s national team. She has been regarded as the best female goalkeeper in Africa and one of the best in the world.
Full List of 2024 CAF Awards Winners
Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria & Atalanta)
Women’s Player of the Year: Barbra Banda (Zambia & Orlando Pride)
Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria & Paris FC)
Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly (Egypt)
Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco & AS Far)
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara (Senegal & Monaco)
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani (Morocco & AS Far)
Men’s National Team of the Year: Ivory Coast
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Goal of the Year (voted for by fans): Cristovao Mabululu (Angola) – Angola v Namibia (Afcon 2023)
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