By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigeria Football Federation has backed Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman and Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who are in contention for the top men’s and women’s categories at today’s Confederation of African Football awards in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Lookman and Nnadozie spearhead Nigeria’s charge for honours at this year’s ceremony, as the country contests for seven awards.
The men’s category is locked in a tight race between Lookman and four other high-profile contenders.
The 27-year-old will vie for the men’s Player of The Year Award against Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
On Sunday, the Nigerian football governing body in a statement titled; ‘2024 CAF Awards: Lookman is the man, whichever way you look at it!’ went all out to root for the Atalanta Star and the Paris FC goalkeeper.
“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,” NFF’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire wrote.
“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 will also be chasing two honours as she is in the mix for the Women’s Player of The Year award along with Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Babra Banda.
She is also a favourite for a second consecutive triumph 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.”
Victories for the duo in the top categories will see 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.
Lookman’s credentials for the men’s honour include his pivotal three goals and two assists which powered Nigeria to their eighth AFCON final in Ivory Coast in February, his hat-trick in a 3-0 win which handed Italian side, Atalanta the UEFA Europa League 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 and scored two goals as Nigeria qualified for the 35th AFCON finals scheduled for 2025 in Morocco.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons are in the run for the National Team of the Year.
The Super Eagles were nominated alongside AFCON 2023 winners Ivory Coast, and South Africa while the Super Falcons were nominated with Morocco and the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.
Also, Falconets and Rivers Angels forward, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu was named in the final three for the Women’s Young Player of The Year award alongside FC Masar’s Habiba Sabry and AS FAR’s Doha El Madani.
To cap an impressive list of nominations for Nigeria, Nigeria Women Football League defending champions, Edo Queens will contest for the Women’s Club of The Year award alongside African Women’s Champions League winners TP Mazembe and Morocco’s AS FAR.