CAF Awards 2024: Lookman and Nwabali Make Final Shortlist, Ekong Misses Out
Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have made it to the final shortlist for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year awards, while defender William Troost-Ekong has failed to secure a spot, according to FIRST CLASS GISTS Sports Extra.
Three weeks after releasing the initial longlist, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially revealed the final five nominees in each of the men’s categories for the prestigious awards, which will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16.
Lookman, a standout performer for Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League, leads the race for the Men’s Player of the Year award, alongside Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
The omission of Troost-Ekong, who was named the 2023 AFCON MVP, from the final list has come as a surprise to many.
Meanwhile, Nwabali, who played a crucial role for Nigeria during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, is nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award. He will compete with Williams, Cameroon’s Andre Onana (Manchester United), Ivory Coast’s Yahia Fofana, and Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir.
Jose Peseiro, former coach of the Super Eagles, also missed out on the shortlist for Coach of the Year. The nominees for the coaching accolade include Ivory Coast’s AFCON-winning coach Emerse Fae, Angola’s Pedro Goncalves, DR Congo’s Sebastien Desabre, Al Ahly’s Marcel Koller, and South Africa’s Hugo Broos.
Nigeria remains in the running for National Team of the Year, alongside reigning AFCON champions Ivory Coast, DR Congo, South Africa, and Sudan.
The CAF Awards cover a range of categories, including Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Club of the Year, totaling seven categories in the men’s segment.
Lookman is seen as a frontrunner for the Men’s Player of the Year award after an exceptional year for both club and country. The 26-year-old scored three goals at the 2023 AFCON and capped off a remarkable season with a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, bringing his tally for the 2023/24 campaign to 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. This season, Lookman has continued to impress with eight goals and five assists in just 14 matches.
