The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed strong support for footballers Ademola Lookman and Chiamaka Nnadozie as they compete for prestigious honours at the CAF Player of the Year awards.
Lookman is a leading contender in the men’s category, while Nnadozie is vying for the women’s award.
Lookman will face tough competition from Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams. In a statement released on Sunday night titled “2024 CAF Awards: Lookman is the man, whichever way you look at it!”, the NFF praised Lookman’s achievements and strongly backed him as a worthy winner. The statement argued that, based on his exceptional form, Lookman is the frontrunner for the award, pointing out that no other nominee has a comparable record, especially in comparison to Adingra’s performance in the AFCON final.
Nnadozie, meanwhile, is a contender for the Women’s Player of the Year award, where she will compete against Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Nnadozie, the current holder of the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, is described as a deserving nominee, with the NFF highlighting her pivotal role in Nigeria’s qualification for the next AFCON and her key contributions to the team’s successful return to the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years. Her standout performances with French club Paris FC have also earned her widespread acclaim.
Additionally, both the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons have been nominated for the National Team of the Year award.
