Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman was named the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Player of the Year for 2024 at a ceremony in Marrakech on Monday.
The Atalanta forward triumphed over stiff competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams to claim the prestigious award.
Lookman, 27, joins an esteemed list of Nigerian footballers who have won the honor, including last year’s winner, Victor Osimhen. The forward had an outstanding season both at club level and internationally, making him the favorite for the accolade.
Lookman’s remarkable performance included a hat-trick for Atalanta in the Europa League final, solidifying his status as one of Europe’s top forwards. He also played a key role in Nigeria’s second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals during the tournament.
The former Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City player was the only African included in this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, finishing 14th.
In the women’s category, Zambia’s Barbra Banda was named CAF Women’s Player of the Year, becoming the first Zambian woman to win the award.
Banda, who scored four goals for Zambia at the 2024 Paris Olympics—including a hat-trick in a group-stage loss to Australia—also had a stellar club season with the Orlando Pride in the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League. She netted 13 regular-season goals and four in the playoffs, leading the Pride to their first NWSL championship.
