The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has thrown its full support behind Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, both of whom are vying for top honors at today’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Lookman and Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for recognition at the prestigious ceremony, with the country competing for seven awards this year.
In the men’s category, Lookman faces stiff competition from four high-profile contenders. The 27-year-old Atalanta star is in the running for the African Player of the Year award, alongside Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
In a statement released on Sunday, titled “2024 CAF Awards: Lookman is the man, whichever way you look at it!”, the NFF made a strong case for the Nigerian forward’s candidacy.
“All things being equal, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman should be crowned African Player of the Year at Monday evening’s 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakesh,” said NFF spokesperson Ademola Olajire. “None of the other final nominees come close. Ivorian Simon Adingra, despite his standout performance in the AFCON final, cannot match Lookman’s outstanding record with Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League and his role in Nigeria’s AFCON campaign.”
Meanwhile, Nnadozie is also in the mix for two prestigious awards. She is a contender for the Women’s Player of the Year award, alongside Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Barbara Banda. Additionally, she is a favorite to win the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
In the NFF’s statement, Olajire also championed Nnadozie’s exceptional year: “In the women’s category, Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie is a worthy contender for Player of the Year, and the award will cap an extraordinary year for the soft-spoken shot-stopper. Nnadozie helped Nigeria return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years, played a key role in the Super Falcons’ AFCON qualification, and earned rave reviews with French club Paris FC.”
A win for Lookman or Nnadozie in the top categories would mark a historic achievement, as Nigeria could produce the winners of both awards for the third time. Previous Nigerian winners include Nwankwo Kanu and Mercy Akide-Udoh in 1999, as well as Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala in 2023.
Lookman’s credentials for the men’s honor are impressive. His vital three goals and two assists helped Nigeria reach the AFCON final in Ivory Coast in February. He also delivered a stunning hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League final. This season, Lookman has continued his brilliant form, registering 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances for Atalanta. He also scored two goals to help Nigeria secure qualification for the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
On the national front, both the Super Eagles and Super Falcons are in the running for the National Team of the Year award. The Super Eagles are up against AFCON 2023 winners Ivory Coast and South Africa, while the Super Falcons are nominated alongside Morocco and South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
In addition, Falconets and Rivers Angels forward Chiamaka Okwuchukwu is a finalist for the Women’s Young Player of the Year award, competing against FC Masar’s Habiba Sabry and AS FAR’s Doha El Madani.
Rounding out the list of impressive nominations, Nigeria Women’s Football League champions Edo Queens are competing for the Women’s Club of the Year award, alongside African Women’s Champions League winners TP Mazembe and Morocco’s AS FAR.
