CAF AWARDS
Banda beats Nnadozie as Women’s Footballer of the year
Zambia’s Barbara Banda is the successor to Asisat Oshoala as the best woman footballer of the year. Banda plays for Orlando Pride of the United States. The year 2024 has been synonymous with memorable exploits for Zambia’s Copper Queens.
During the Paris Olympic Games, Banda, 24, made history by becoming the first player to score a third hat-trick at the Olympics after her two brilliant previous performances in Japan three years earlier.
After four successful years at Shanghai Shengli in China, she made a fresh start by joining Orlando Pride in the United States, becoming the second most expensive player in women’s football history.
In her first season in the National Women’s Soccer League, the Zambian captain caused a sensation by scoring the decisive goal in the final of the playoffs, one of 17 she managed in 25 games.
This earned her the title of the championship’s Most Valuable Player of 2024, thus confirming her status as an exceptional player
Say it loud! Ademola Lookman is the African Footballer of the Year! The Atalanta and Nigeria forward even added a touch of culture with his Yoruba flowing gown in Nigeria’s colour of forest green.
Not done yet, the player born in the UK and grew up in the country opened his remarks in his father’s tongue of Yoruba as he saluted the global audience.
He became the seventh Nigerian to win the African Prime Continental award after Rashidi Yekini in 1993, Emmanuel Amuneke in 1994, Nwankwo Kanu in 1996 and 1999, Victor Ikpeba in 1997 and Victor Osimhen in 2023.
Lookman has been in the form of his life in 2024, helping turn his Italian Serie A side Atalanta into title contenders and taking them to a UEFA Europa League trophy win, the first major piece of silverware for the club in 61 years.
The 27-year-old scored a hat-trick in the decider as Atalanta became the only team in the 2023-24 campaign to inflict a defeat on German Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen as the forward provided one of the great final displays in European football history.
Lookman also helped Nigeria to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, where they lost to the hosts. His displays, and three goals, did not go unnoticed as he was named in the Team of the Tournament.
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Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong is a conspicuous absentee as the CAF FIFPro BEST XI was unveiled at the CAF Awards 2024 holding in Morocco.
Two Nigerian players, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman however made the list.
The chosen ones are: Andre Onana , Achraf Hakimi, Kalidou Koulibaly, Chancel Mbemba , Mohamed Kudus , Sofyan Amrabat , Franck Kessie , Yves Bissouma Mohamed Salah , Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman
Nigeria’s Super Falcons’ goalkeeper has again been adjudged the best woman goalkeeper in the continent. She won the goalkeeper of the Year award at the CAF Awards 2024 held in Morocco.
She also won the award last year.
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