The Nigeria Football Federation has backed Ademola Lookman to win the 2024 CAF Player of the Year Award in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16.
Reports suggest that Morocco home-boy Achraf Hakimi could win the prestigious prize ahead of the other four nominees.
Lookman has been impressive for club and country in the calendar year as he played a pivotal role for the Super Eagles at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The Atalanta of Italy forward scored three goals at the competition, including a brace against Cameroon in the second round and the only goal in their 1-0 win over Angola in the quarter-final.
Days before the award ceremony, former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze raised the alarm, saying that his source claimed that Hakimi is the leading contender for the prize.
However, 24 hours before the ceremony, the Nigeria Football Federation released a statement reiterating that Lookman’s statistics surpassed those of the other four nominees.
The statement reads:
“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.
“His three goals and two assists were pivotal to Nigeria reaching their eighth Africa Cup of Nations Final in Cote d’Ivoire in February, and his hat-trick in a 3-0 win handed Italian side, Atalanta FC the UEFA Europa Cup at the expense of hitherto-rampaging German side, Bayer Leverkusen in May.
“This season, he has notched 11 goals and five assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta (including a goal against record winners Real Madrid FC in the UEFA Champions League), and scored two goals as Nigeria qualified for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals, with two other goals controversially chalked off.
“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 11 February, cannot point to such a glittering record with English Premier League club Brighton.”
Haller tips Adingra for CAF Award
Legit earlier reported that Ivorian international Sebastien Haller believes his compatriot Simon Adingra deserves the award.
The on-loan Borussia Dortmund striker also admitted that it would be tough choosing the 2024 CAF Player of the Year Award winner.
Ademola Lookman, Ronwen Williams, Simon Adingra, Serhou Guirassy and Achraf Hakimi are all up for the prize.
