2024 CAF Awards: Lookman, Banda, Williams Win Big In Marrakech, Morocco
Nigeria and Atalanta of Italy forward Ademola Lookman, Zambia striker Barbra Banda and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams on Monday emerged big winners at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco as honours were showered on Africa’s best football performers for the year.
Attended by football royalty from the continent and beyond, the glittering ceremony was a celebration of the incredible growth and development of the game in Africa, and the astonishing strides that have been made in men’s and women’s football in recent years.
Parading a sensational 12 months’ credentials with Italian side, Atalanta and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Lookman bagged the CAF Men’s Player of the Year Award to follow in the footsteps of compatriot, Victor Osimhen, who claimed the honours in 2023.
It is the first time Nigeria has had back-to-back winners in the Men’s award since Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were honoured almost three decades ago.
In the female category, Barbra Banda claimed the prize on the strength of taking the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season in the United States by storm as well as helping Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship by scoring the decisive goal in the final against Washington Spirit.
Also, her hat trick for Zambia at the Paris Olympics 2024 was her third in Olympic Games football, a record in the competition, elevating her to among the greats to have played the game. Banda became the first player from Africa to be included in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 in 2024.
On his part, Ronwen Williams was the only double winner on the night, collecting the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year awards.
His spectacular penalty saves at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will live long in the memory, including four in the quarter-final shootout win against Cape Verde as he captained South Africa to the bronze medal.
The 32-year-old helped his club Mamelodi Sundowns set a joint record low of just 11 goals conceded in 30 games in the South African Premiership as they eased to a seventh domestic league title in succession.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie claimed the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row having had another outstanding season for French side Paris FC, where she was named Première Ligue Goalkeeper of the Season for 2023-24.
Other Award Winners
AS FAR and Morocco international forward Sanaâ Mssoudy won the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year having claimed the Best Player award at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco was the Men’s Young Player of the Year as the versatile box-to-box midfielder shone for club and country with his dynamic displays.
Doha El Madani of AS FAR and Morocco won the Women’s Young Player of the Year as the 19-year-old secured the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League with six goals in five matches.
The Men’s Coach of the Year went to Emerse Fae after he led Cote d’Ivoire from the brink of elimination to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in one of the great global sports stories of 2024.
Moroccan tactician Lamia Boumehdi was named Women’s Coach of the Year as she led TP Mazembe from the DR Congo to the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League title with a win over AS FAR in the decider.
Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire’s continental crown saw them named Men’s National Team of the Year, while Nigeria’s Super Falcons were the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Al Ahly’s fourth TotalEnergies CAF Champions League win in five years made them worthy winners of Men’s Club of the Year, while TP Mazembe took home the Women’s Club of the Year.
Goal of the Year was won by Angola’s Mabululu for his audacious finish against Namibia at the continental finals in Cote d’Ivoire. This was the only award voted for by fans.
In line with the commitment of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe at last year’s event, match officials were also honoured at the 2024 CAF Awards, Mutaz Ibrahim of Libya was named Men’s Referee of the Year, while Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi was Women’s Referee of the Year.
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue of Cameroon was awarded Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year and Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha the Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year.
The Men’s CAF-FIFPRO Africa Best XI for Men and women were also named and honoured the top performers from the continent in each position.
ALL 2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria/Atalanta)
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)
– With cafonline.com reports
