The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed strong support for two of Nigeria’s brightest football stars, Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie, as they vie for top honours at the 2024 CAF Player of the Year awards.
Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in Italy, is a strong contender in the men’s category, competing against notable players such as Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams. The NFF has backed Lookman’s claim to the prestigious title, highlighting his stellar performances throughout the year. In a statement, the NFF argued that Lookman’s achievements far outshine those of his competitors, including Adingra, whose performance in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Ivory Coast defeated Nigeria, does not match Lookman’s consistency in the English Premier League with Brighton.
On the women’s side, Chiamaka Nnadozie is a contender for the Women’s Player of the Year award, along with Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. The NFF also highlighted Nnadozie’s outstanding year, emphasizing her pivotal role in Nigeria’s return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years and her contributions to the Super Falcons’ qualification for next year’s AFCON. Additionally, Nnadozie has garnered praise for her performances with Paris FC in France, making her a strong contender for both the Player of the Year and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
The NFF’s statement further lauded Nnadozie’s achievements, noting that a win would be a fitting conclusion to a remarkable year for the goalkeeper, who has shown immense skill and dedication to the Nigerian national team.
In other categories, both the Super Eagles and Super Falcons are finalists for the National Team of the Year award. Additionally, Chiamaka Okwuchukwu of the Falconets and Rivers Angels has been nominated for Women’s Young Player of the Year.
