Olaleye Idowu
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, is backing the duo of Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie, who are in the run for CAF Player of The Year awards in the men’s and women’s categories respectively on Monday.
The country is in line to take home seven awards.
Lookman will slug it out for the men’s Player of The Year Award along with Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker, Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams.
In a statement, the NFF said: “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 Congrés in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
“None of the four other final nominees comes close. Ivorian Simon Adingra, whose remarkable second-half performance saw the Elephants overcome Nigeria in the AFCON Final in Abidjan on February 11, cannot point to such a glittering record with English Premier League club, Brighton.”
Nnadozie is in the mix for the Women’s Player of The Year award, Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy, and Zambia’s Babra Banda.
The Paris FC shot-stopper is also a favourite for a back-to-back win in the Women’s Goalkeeper of The Year category.
“In the women’s category, Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie is a worthy contender for the Player of The Year (won for the sixth time last year by compatriot Asisat Oshoala), and the gong will cap a remarkable year for the soft-spoken safe hands who helped Nigeria re-appear at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years, was key to the Falcons’ qualification for next year’s AFCON and drew rave reviews all around with French club, Paris FC,” the statement added.
If both players win, it will be the first time Nigeria produce the winners of both awards for the third time – Nwankwo Kanu and Mercy Akide-Udoh in 1999, and Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala in 2023.
