Lookman, Nwabali lead player of the year finalists, Troost-Ekong snubbed

Lookman, who shone for Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League, headlines the shortlist for the Men’s Player of the Year award. He is joined by Ivory Coast forward Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, and South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Troost-Ekong, who was the standout MVP at AFCON 2023, was a surprising omission from the final list.

Nwabali, the Chippa United shot-stopper who delivered stellar performances for Nigeria at AFCON 2023, is in contention for the Goalkeeper of the Year award. He will compete against Williams, Manchester United and Cameroon keeper André Onana, Ivory Coast’s Yahia Fofana, and Egypt’s Mostafa Shobeir.

Former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro also failed to make the final shortlist for Coach of the Year, which features Ivory Coast’s AFCON-winning coach Emerse Faé, Angola’s Pedro Gonçalves, DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre, Al Ahly’s Marcel Koller, and South Africa’s Hugo Broos.

Nigeria remains in contention for National Team of the Year, competing against reigning African champions Ivory Coast, DR Congo, South Africa, and Sudan.

CAF has also announced nominees in other categories, including Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, and Club of the Year, bringing the total to seven men’s categories for the awards.

The 2024 CAF Awards recognize performances between January 2024 and October 2024.

Lookman is widely considered the frontrunner for the Men’s Player of the Year award following a stellar year for both club and country. The 26-year-old scored three goals at AFCON 2023 and capped off his season with a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, finishing the 2023/24 campaign with 17 goals and 10 assists for Atalanta.

This season, Lookman has maintained his form, delivering eight goals and five assists in just 14 appearances, further cementing his case for the prestigious award.