CAF Awards 2024: NFF Backs Ademola Lookman to Win Player of the Year

By Monsurah Olatunji

Ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has publicly thrown its weight behind Ademola Lookman as the frontrunner for the African Player of the Year title.

This year, Nigeria is competing for seven awards, with Lookman facing stiff competition for the Men’s Player of the Year accolade.

He is up against a strong group of contenders, including Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.

Despite the competition, the NFF remains confident that Lookman’s outstanding performances put him ahead of the pack.

In a statement titled “2024 CAF Awards: Lookman is the man, whichever way you look at it!” NFF spokesperson Ademola Olajire highlighted Lookman’s exceptional achievements over the past year, asserting that the 27-year-old has outshone all other nominees—especially Adingra, who is also considered a strong contender.

Olajire noted that while Adingra had a notable second-half display in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final against Nigeria, his club form with Brighton in the English Premier League does not match the level Lookman has reached.

Lookman, by contrast, has been in sensational form for both club and country, solidifying his place among Africa’s football elite.

One of Lookman’s crowning achievements was his historic hat-trick in the Europa League final, a feat that helped Atalanta win their first-ever European title.

In addition, his remarkable 14th-place finish in the Ballon d’Or rankings, as the sole African nominee, further strengthened his candidacy for the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award.

The NFF is resolute in its support for Lookman. The statement further emphasized, “All things being equal, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman should be crowned the African Player of the Year at Monday evening’s 2024 CAF Awards at the Palais des Congrès in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.”

The NFF’s endorsement highlights the belief that Lookman’s accomplishments far surpass those of his fellow nominees, positioning him as the clear favorite to win the coveted title.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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