Sports
CAF Awards 2024: Ademola Leads Nigeria’s Date With Destiny
Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman will lead Nigeria’s quest for honours at the CAF Awards in the Moroccan City of Marrakech.
Lookman is in pole position to be crowned the CAF Player of the Year for 2024 following a stunning campaign that saw him win the Europa League where he bagged a historic hat-trick in the final.
Last year, Lookman’s compatriots Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala scooped the men’s and women’s CAF prizes respectively.
In announcing the final shortlist for the men’s prize for this year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it was a close call, thus their inability to prune the list to three.
That means Lookman will battle South Africa’s Ronwen Williams; Cote d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra; Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco for Africa’s top individual football prize.
However, in Morroco on Monday, the Atalanta man is favoured to take the crown from his compatriot Osimhen.
The statistics tell it all! In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) played earlier in the year, Lookman was an inspirational figure for Nigeria, notching three goals and two assists in seven games as the Super Eagles flew to a second-place finish.
He struck a brace in the last 16 match against Cameroon before bagging the winner in the quarter-final vs Angola.
His performances in Cote d’Ivoire earned him a place in the Team of the Tournament, about two years after he switched allegiance to Nigeria from England.
Lookman followed up the AFCON outing with a historic hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, ending the German side’s unbeaten season run and giving his team their second major crown since 1963.
So far this season, the winger has scored 11 goals and five assists in 18 games across all competitions for his Italian side.
Lookman has also been impressive for the Super Eagles after the AFCON. He was instrumental in the team’s AFCON 2025 qualification, scoring two goals in the process.
Two of his goals were ruled off in controversial conditions during that qualification series.
Nigeria’s forward #18 Ademola Lookman (C) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nigeria’s forward #9 Victor Osimhen (R) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 round of 16 football match between Nigeria and Cameroon at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
The 27-year-old was the only African in the Ballon d’Or shortlist this year and finished in an impressive 14th place.
Lookman won’t be the only Nigerian going for honours in Morocco. In the women’s category, the soft-spoken Chiamaka Nnadozie will hope to take the Player of the Year award – won six times by Oshoala – back home.
But she faces stiff competition in the mold of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Moroccan Sanâa Mssoudy.Nnadozie, a key figure for French side Paris FC, helped Nigeria seal an Olympics ticket after a 16-year absence.
The Super Falcon is equally a favourite to retain the Goalkeeper of the Year gong. She is up against Andile Dlamini (South Africa) and Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco for that.Falconet’s Chiamaka Okwuchukwu completes Nigeria’s trio of contenders for individual prizes in the CAF Awards for 2024.
She made the final shortlist for the Young Player of the Year (women) after helping Nigeria reach the last eight of this year’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
Okwuchukwu also featured in the Nigerian squad that got to the final of the Africa Games.For the team prizes, the Super Eagles and Falcons were nominated for the men’s and women’s teams of the year in that order.
For the former, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire are contenders while the latter has Morocco, South Africa, Zambia, and the Cameroon U-20 side.
Edo Queens who got to the semi-final of the CAF Women’s Champions League in their debut also earned a spot in the Women’s Club of the Year category.
As the world eagerly awaits the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony, all eyes will be on Lookman to lead his home country to glory in the imperial Moroccan city of Marrakech.
Sports
Mohamed Salah quitting Liverpool after nine historic years
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in June 2017, recently signed a two-year contract extension but will now depart following an agreement with the club. The Egyptian forward was instrumental in Liverpool’s recent Premier League title success under manager Arne Slot, contributing 29 goals and 18 assists during the campaign.
Mohamed Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing an end to a remarkable nine-year career at Anfield.
The 33-year-old Egyptian international confirmed the decision via a video message shared on his social media accounts.
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in June 2017, recently signed a two-year contract extension but will now depart following an agreement with the club.
A statement on Liverpool’s official website read:
“Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 season. The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield.”
The Egyptian forward was instrumental in Liverpool’s recent Premier League title success under manager Arne Slot, contributing 29 goals and 18 assists during the campaign.
However, he has struggled to replicate that form this season, registering just 11 goal involvements, including five league goals.
Sports
NBF Kida’s board to remain in office until October , says FIBA
In a letter signed by FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis, the world governing body outlined its position following weeks of disputes and petitions from stakeholders over the legitimacy of the current board and the timing of elections.
Photo: D’Tigers against Guinea during the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifier | Photo Credit: FIBA
FIBA has confirmed that the current board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBF) led by Musa Kida will remain in office until October 2026.
In a letter signed by FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis, the world governing body outlined its position following weeks of disputes and petitions from stakeholders over the legitimacy of the current board and the timing of elections.
After reviewing the situation, FIBA confirmed that the current board’s mandate remains valid until October 15, 2026, effectively dismissing calls from some stakeholders for an immediate dissolution of the leadership.
FIBA explained that it had reviewed extensive correspondence from various parties and taken into account its previous involvement in governance issues affecting Nigerian basketball, which have historically intensified during electoral periods.
“Over recent weeks, FIBA has received extensive correspondence from various stakeholders regarding the governance of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and the timing of its upcoming elections,” the letter, addressed to Kida and secretary general Olabisi Afolabi-Oluwayemi, read.
“As you are well aware, since 2017 FIBA has closely monitored the governance issues of NBFB, which tend to become very contentious during the electoral year.”
The governing body also referenced past sanctions imposed on Nigeria, including the withdrawal of the women’s national team from the World Cup and disciplinary measures taken before the situation was stabilised in 2022 through its intervention.
Sports
Int’l friendlies: 15 players open Eagles camp in Turkey
The early arrivals include midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alex Iwobi, defenders Emmanuel Fernandez, Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel, as well as forwards Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, Philip Otele and Collins Yira Sor.
The Super Eagles’ camp in Antalya, Turkey, opened yesterday with fifteen players as preparations begin for this month’s international friendlies against Iran and Jordan.
The national team camp officially opened on Tuesday, with coaches and team officials arriving earlier in the day at noon to put finishing touches to arrangements ahead of the players’ arrival.
Providing an update, Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed that 15 players had reported to camp following the late arrival of forward Samuel Chukwueze and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
He said that an advance delegation, which departed Nigeria on Monday, had already set the groundwork for a smooth camping exercise.
The group included assistant coaches Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu, alongside medical staff and the kit manager, all tasked with ensuring that facilities and logistics were in place.
The early arrivals include midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alex Iwobi, defenders Emmanuel Fernandez, Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel, as well as forwards Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, Philip Otele and Collins Yira Sor.
Goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye have also linked up with the squad, while midfielder Frank Onyeka completes the list of players already in camp.
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