By Saheed Afolabi
Moroccan forward Doha El Madani has been named the 2024 CAF Young Player of the Year, edging out Nigeria’s promising star Chiamaka Okwuchukwu at the prestigious awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco.
El Madani, who plays for AS FAR, had an exceptional year, finishing as the top scorer in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League with six goals in just five matches.
Her impressive performances helped AS FAR secure a second-place finish in the competition, although they were defeated in a thrilling final by TP Mazembe.
Okwuchukwu, also 19, was a standout performer for the Nigeria U20 women’s team at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where she scored two goals and provided one assist in four matches. Unfortunately, the Falconets were eliminated in the round of 16.
In addition, Okwuchukwu had an excellent season with Rivers Angels, playing a crucial role in their title bid, though they fell short in the decisive match against Heartland Queens.
While Okwuchukwu was highly competitive for the award, El Madani’s remarkable performances in continental club football earned her the prestigious recognition as the continent’s top young talent.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
