AHEAD of the African Best Player of the Year award, the NFF has backed forward, Ademola Lookman to win the prestigious award.
Lookman is the favourite to win the award but would face tough competition from Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker, Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams.
In a statement, the NFF said: “All things being equal, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman should be crowned the African Player of The Year at Monday evening’s 2024 CAF Awards at the Palais des Congrés in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.
“None of the four other final nominees comes close. Ivorian Simon Adingra, whose remarkable second-half performance saw the Elephants overcome Nigeria in the AFCON Final in Abidjan on February 11, cannot point to such a glittering record with English Premier League club, Brighton.”
Apart from Ademola Lookman, the NFF also backed Super Falcons goalie, Chiamaka Nnadozie to win the Women’s Player of The Year award as she would also face tough competition from Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Babra Banda.
If both players win, it will be the third time Nigeria produce the winners of both awards – Nwankwo Kanu and Mercy Akide-Udoh in 1999, and Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala in 2023.
