Salah out as Ademola Lookman leads CAF Player of the Year race

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed the final shortlist for the 2024 African Player of the Year award, with Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman emerging as the favourite.

The Atalanta winger played a vital role in Nigeria’s journey to a second-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and made history at the club level by scoring a memorable hat-trick in the Europa League final, leading Atalanta to their first-ever European trophy. Lookman also finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

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Joining Lookman on the prestigious list is South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who has been a standout performer for both club and country. The other finalists are Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, and Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy. Notably, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, despite another excellent season at the club level, did not make the final cut.

Lookman’s exceptional achievements, particularly his Europa League hat-trick that secured a 3-0 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen, have placed him in pole position for the award. A surprising omission from the shortlist is Nigeria’s William Troost-Ekong, who had been part of the initial 10-man lineup. Troost-Ekong was named the Most Valuable Player at AFCON 2023 after leading Nigeria to a silver medal, but his inconsistent club form—largely due to injuries in his final months in Greece—saw him miss the final selection.

The winners in all categories will be celebrated at a glittering ceremony set for December 16 in Marrakesh, Morocco, highlighting excellence in African football across both men’s and women’s competitions.

CAF has also announced several other award categories, including Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Club of the Year, and National Team of the Year. Each category has been narrowed down to the top five candidates, teams, and coaches.

The 2024 CAF Awards will honour outstanding performances from January 2024 to October 2024, celebrating the best of African football and culminating in the prestigious CAF African Player of the Year awards for both men and women.