Ademola Lookman, Stanley Nwabali, Super Eagles make 2024 CAF Awards shortlist

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman made the cut of the shortlist for the 2024 CAF Awards.

Africa’s sole nominee for the 2024 Ballon d’Or will jostle with four other players for the gong and prize of replacing compatriot Victor Osimhen, who won it last year.

Lookman’s finish at the 2024 Ballon D’Or, scoring a hat trick in the final of the last UEFA Europa League, which his club won, and being Super Eagles’ highest goal scorer at the silver-winning 2023 AFCON put him in good stead to win the highest gong.

Simon Adingra (Cote D’Ivoire), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa) are the other shortlisted players.

In the goalkeeping category, Nigeria’s senior men’s national team save hands, Stanley Nwabali was also listed amongst five shortlisted nominees.

He will be in contention alongside Andre Onana (Cameroon), Yahia Fofana (Cote D’Ivoire), Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt), and Ronwen Williams.

Super Eagles will contest for the men’s national team of the year.

2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions and host, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Sudan are the other nominees.