The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has pledged its unwavering support for Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman and Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, both of whom are in contention for top honours at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, later today.
Lookman and Nnadozie spearhead Nigeria’s push for glory at this year’s ceremony, where the country is vying for an impressive total of seven awards.
The men’s category is fiercely contested, with Lookman up against four other notable candidates. The 27-year-old Atalanta star is nominated for the Men’s 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 threw its full backing behind Lookman and Nnadozie.
“All things being equal, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman should be crowned African Player of the Year at Monday evening’s 2024 CAF Awards at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakesh,” wrote NFF spokesperson Ademola Olajire.
“None of the four other nominees comes close. Even Ivorian Simon Adingra, whose brilliant second-half display helped the Elephants defeat Nigeria in the AFCON Final in Abidjan, does not boast Lookman’s glittering record with English Premier League club Brighton.”
In the women’s category, Nnadozie is chasing two honours. She is nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year Award alongside Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Babra Banda. She is also favoured to secure a second consecutive win in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category.
“Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie is a worthy contender for the Player of the Year title, which was won for the sixth time last year by her compatriot Asisat Oshoala. Winning would crown a remarkable year for the soft-spoken goalkeeper, who was instrumental in Nigeria’s return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years. She also played a key role in the Falcons’ qualification for next year’s AFCON and earned widespread praise with her performances for Paris FC in France,” the statement continued.
A double win for Lookman and Nnadozie would see Nigeria produce winners in both categories for the third time, replicating the successes of Nwankwo Kanu and Mercy Akide-Udoh in 1999, and Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala in 2023.
Lookman’s accomplishments include scoring three goals and providing two assists to propel Nigeria to their eighth AFCON final in February, as well as his hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen to clinch the UEFA Europa League title in May. This season, he has registered 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances for Atalanta, and scored twice as Nigeria secured qualification for the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles and Super Falcons are both nominated for National Team of the Year. The Super Eagles are up against AFCON 2023 winners Ivory Coast and South Africa, while the Super Falcons face competition from Morocco and South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.
Additionally, Falconets and Rivers Angels forward Chiamaka Okwuchukwu is a finalist for the Women’s Young Player of the Year Award, contending with FC Masar’s Habiba Sabry and AS FAR’s Doha El Madani.
Rounding off Nigeria’s nominations, Nigeria Women Football League champions Edo Queens will vie for Women’s Club of the Year, alongside African Women’s Champions League winners TP Mazembe and Morocco’s AS FAR.
