Ademola Lookman, the fan favourite, and the other four candidates have been kept by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the final shortlist of five for the coveted CAF Men’s Player of the Year award, which will be determined in Morocco on Monday.
In the other categories, CAF announced a final shortlist of threes; however, the continental soccer governing body stated that there was not much to pick from the final shortlist of five for the Men’s Player of the Year, therefore the group will find out their fate on Monday in Marrakech.
With this latest news, the 27-year-old Nigeria’s Atalanta forward will battle it out with the Ivorian Simon Adingra (Brighton & Hove Albion); Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy ( Borussia Dortmund); Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain ) and South Africa’s goalkeeper Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Ahead of Monday’s ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, CAF stated on its website that “the full list of five names has been maintained by the organisers of the 2024 CAF Awards because there is so little to choose from when voting among the remaining nominees in the race for the coveted Men’s Player of the Year.” It heightens the tension of the evening in what has been one of the most fiercely contested awards ceremonies in history, with five exceptional contenders vying to leave their mark on the illustrious history of football on the continent.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie of FC Paris and Super Falcons, meanwhile, advanced to the final round of three for the Women’s Player of the Year award.
“The top three contenders for Women’s Player of the Year can be determined following a thorough voting process, with Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Moroccan forward Sanaâ Mssoudy, and Zambian striker Barbra Banda still in the running.” CAF moreover expressed. “These three outstanding players have embodied the greatness and vigour of African football in their own unique ways, and they have excelled throughout the year.”
The 2024 CAF Awards event will begin at 19:00 local time, or 7:00 Nigerian time, at the Palais des Congrès.
