African Player of the Year 2024. African footballers. Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has been named African Player of the Year 2024. This prestigious award, presented by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), celebrates his excellent performances last season. Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in Italy, played a crucial role in his team’s success, helping them win the Europa League.
The 27-year-old Lookman beat other top contenders for the award, including Moroccan Achraf Hakimi from PSG, Ivorian Simon Adingra from Brighton, Guinean Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund, and South African Ronwen Williams, who was named the best goalkeeper. This win is just the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable career for Lookman in African football.
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In the women’s category, the Best Player award went to Barbra Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride in the U.S. She had an amazing year with both her national team, Zambia, and her club. Banda made a huge impact after joining Orlando Pride, becoming the second most expensive transfer in women’s football history. She triumphed over Moroccan Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigerian Chiamaka Nnadozie, who was named the best goalkeeper. Banda’s historic achievement was her hat-trick performance during the Paris Olympic Games, a huge milestone in women’s football.
The Coach of the Year award went to Emerse Faé, who coaches the Ivory Coast national team. Lamia Boumehdi, the head coach of TP Mazembe, was named the Best Female Coach after her impressive work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the men’s category, Egyptian club Al Ahly was named Men’s Club of the Year after winning the African Champions League for the fourth time in five years.
CAF also recognized other standout achievements, such as Cristovao Mabululu from Angola winning Goal of the Year and Senegal’s Lamine Camara from AS Monaco being named Best Young Player. These awards highlight the rising talent and increasing competitiveness in African football.