CAF AWARDS: LOOKMAN, CHIAMAKA, SUPER EAGLES, FALCONS MAKE FINAL LIST
Nigerian duo, Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie have made the final shortlist for the CAF Player of the Year awards for men and women’s categories respectively.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the women’s national team the Super Falcons also reached the last three for the Team of the Year prize in the final shortlist released on Thursday.
Lookman who plays for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A made headlines last season after bagging a hat-trick in the Europa League final which his club won. He was also a key player as the Super Eagles narrowly lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Nigerian was also named in the Team of the Tournament for the competition and will do battle with South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Cote d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, and Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy.
Lookman’s counterpart Nnadozie is chasing double honours in the CAF awards. The Paris FC player is in pole position to retain the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year gong. She is also in contention for the Women’s Player of The Year award alongside Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Babra Banda.
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Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are in the gunning for the Male Team of the Year and are up against Cote d’Ivoire and South Africa. The Nigerian team were runners-up in the AFCON and have qualified for the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Another Nigerian and Falconets star Chiamaka Okwuchukwu made the shortlist for the Women’s Young Player of The Year prize. She was named alongside Asfar’s Doha El Madani and Habiba Sabry of FC Masar.
Chiamaka who plays for Rivers Angels was part of Nigeria’s team to the FIFA U-20 Women’s Cup, scoring twice and bagging one assist as the Falconets bowed out in the round of 16.
Nigeria’s Edo Queens made the final shortlist for the Women’s Club of the Year award. The other two contenders are Morocco’s Asfar and DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
The CAF Awards will be held on Monday in Marrakesh, Morocco. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen is the reigning CAF Men Player of the Year and his compatriot Asisat Oshoala has the women’s gong.