Nigerian football continued its reign on the continental stage as Ademola Lookman was crowned African Player of The Year at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday. Lookman’s triumph capped a stellar year for Nigerian football, which also saw the Super Falcons retain their Women’s National Team of The Year title and Chiamaka Nnadozie successfully defend her Goalkeeper of The Year crown.
Lookman, who becomes the seventh Nigerian to claim the prestigious Player of The Year award, added to Nigeria’s rich history following Victor Osimhen’s win in 2023. The 26-year-old Atalanta forward enjoyed a standout year, scoring three goals and providing two assists to help Nigeria reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in February. His crowning moment came in May when his hat-trick secured Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League title against Bayer Leverkusen—one of the most remarkable individual performances of the year.
His continued excellence this season, with 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances, including a strike against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, cemented his position as Africa’s best player. Lookman edged out stiff competition from Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi.
Lookman’s win sees Nigeria extend its record to seven CAF Player of The Year titles, moving clear of Ivory Coast (6) and behind only Cameroon’s 11. Past Nigerian winners include Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997), and Victor Osimhen (2023).
Paris FC and Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie reaffirmed her status as Africa’s top shot-stopper, winning the Women’s Goalkeeper of The Year for the second year running. Nnadozie’s heroics played a key role in Nigeria’s qualification for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, ending a 16-year drought. She beat South Africa’s Andile Dlamini and Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi to retain the award.
However, the Women’s Player of The Year title eluded Nnadozie, as Zambia’s Barbara Banda dethroned Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who had previously won the award six times—a CAF record.
The Super Falcons solidified their dominance as Africa’s top-ranked women’s team, retaining the Women’s National Team of The Year award. Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau, who accepted the award, dedicated it to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, reflecting the collective pride in the team’s success.
Despite Nigeria’s strong showing at the ceremony, the Super Eagles fell short in the Men’s National Team of The Year category. AFCON champions Ivory Coast claimed the title, while South Africa’s Bafana Bafana was also nominated.
Other Notable Awards
Men’s Club of The Year: Egypt’s Al Ahly
Women’s Club of The Year: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
Young Player of The Year (Men): Senegal’s Lamine Camara
Young Player of The Year (Women): Egypt’s Doha El Madani
Men’s Goalkeeper of The Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Interclub Player of The Year: Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco)
Men’s Coach of The Year: Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast)
Women’s Coach of The Year: Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
Goal of The Year: Cristovao Mabululu (Angola)
The awards underscored Nigeria’s enduring presence in African football, celebrating individual brilliance, collective success, and the promise of continued dominance on the continental stage.
