Nigeria Eyes Seven Awards at Prestigious Ceremony in Morocco
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has rallied behind Nigerian stars Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie ahead of the 2024 CAF Awards set to take place tonight in Marrakesh, Morocco. Both athletes are strong contenders for the prestigious Player of the Year titles in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
Ademola Lookman, who plays for Serie A side Atalanta, is one of five finalists for the Men’s Player of the Year award. He faces stiff competition from Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The Super Falcons’ goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, is also in contention for two major awards: Women’s Player of the Year and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, following an outstanding season for both club and country.
NFF’s Strong Endorsement
The NFF, in a spirited statement, expressed confidence in both players’ chances.
“All things being equal, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman should be crowned the African Player of The Year… None of the four other final nominees comes close,” NFF spokesperson Ademola Olajire declared.
For Nnadozie, the federation highlighted her pivotal role in the Super Falcons’ qualification for next year’s AFCON and their return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years. Her stellar performances with Paris FC, including earning rave reviews in European competitions, make her a strong favorite.
Lookman’s Stellar Year
Ademola Lookman’s credentials for the award are compelling. He scored three goals and provided two assists to propel Nigeria to the AFCON 2023 final, where they finished runners-up to Ivory Coast. In club football, he was instrumental in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League triumph, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
This season, Lookman has tallied 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances for Atalanta, including a strike against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. He also contributed significantly to Nigeria’s AFCON qualification campaign.
Nnadozie’s Dual Honors Bid
Nnadozie is aiming for back-to-back wins in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category. Her heroics for Paris FC and the Super Falcons cement her as a frontrunner for the Women’s Player of the Year award, alongside Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Barbra Banda.
A win for Nnadozie and Lookman in their respective categories would mark the third time Nigeria has claimed both awards in the same year, following similar feats in 1999 (Nwankwo Kanu and Mercy Akide-Udoh) and 2023 (Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala).
More Nigerian Contenders
Other Nigerian nominees include Chiamaka Okwuchukwu for Women’s Young Player of the Year and Edo Queens for Women’s Club of the Year. The Super Eagles and Super Falcons are also in contention for National Team of the Year awards in their respective categories.
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