Sports

CAF Awards 2024: Ademola Leads Nigeria’s Date With Destiny

Published

2 years ago

December 16, 2024

494 Views

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

Mbappé Leaves Nike To Promote Swiss Sportswear Brand On

Of course, I had 20 amazing years with Nike, I can only say thanks to them,” Mbappé said.

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

OCHEFA

26 Views

French soccer champion Kylian Mbappé and On Holding – a Swiss sportswear manufacturer, have signed a 10-year partnership agreement for the promotion of the brand.

On, a new entrant in the soccer market, announced recently that it will be working with Mbappé to design high-performance footwear and apparel.

The French player, who has been associated with Nike since childhood, chose not to renew his deal with the sportswear giant.

On also announced that retired player and commentator Thierry Henry would join as its new director of football and FC Barcelona player Sydney Schertenleib would help develop and test its soccer apparel.

“Of course, I had 20 amazing years with Nike, I can only say thanks to them,” Mbappé said in a joint interview alongside On’s co-CEO David Alleman, with CNBC’s Carolin Roth on Monday.

But I think, as a person, as a player, it was the time to change… and after we started to talk, and after every discussion, I was a little bit more convinced about the fact that I have to be part of the family, I have to be part of the project, to be part of the journey with On and the football,” he added.“You need to feel at one with your shoes,” Mbappé continued in the CNBC interview. “As a player, you need to feel a special connection with your boot, with the ball, with the pitch, with the evolution of the game. Now you play 60 games in a season. You train every day. The intensity is high. You need to feel comfortable in your shoes.”

Sports

Eguavoen appointed interim Super Falcons coach ahead of 2028 Olympic qualifiers

Former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf—who earned 68 caps and featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics—also joins as an assistant coach, alongside veteran goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 9, 2026

OCHEFA

135 Views

• Augustine “Cerezo” Eguavoen

Former Super Eagles head coach Augustine “Cerezo” Eguavoen has been appointed to lead Nigeria’s Super Falcons on a temporary basis as the search for a permanent manager continues.

His immediate assignment is navigating the 2028 Olympic Games second-round qualifying tie against Comoros this October.

The Vanguard reported that Eguavoen ‘s immediate assignment is navigating the 2028 Olympic Games second-round qualifying tie against Comoros this October.

Eguavoen brings top-tier experience to the role, having previously guided the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The interim technical crew is Nasarawa Amazons head coach Christopher Danjuma, who recently led the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf—who earned 68 caps and featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics—also joins as an assistant coach, alongside veteran goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa.

The 10-time African champions will kick off their campaign against Comoros, who advanced after a staggering 30-0 aggregate win over Sudan.

Both legs of the fixture will take place at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on October 9 and 13, 2026.

Sports

Falconets lose World Cup opener to Spain

Spain, who won the competition in 2022, controlled much of the encounter at the Arena Sosnowiec and took the lead in the 13th minute through Marisa García.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 8, 2026

OCHEFA

183 Views

Nigeria’s Falconets lost their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup opening match to Spain by 2-0 in the Group F opener in Poland on Monday.

Spain, who won the competition in 2022, controlled much of the encounter at the Arena Sosnowiec and took the lead in the 13th minute through Marisa García.

The goal came after Noemí Bejarano worked her way down the flank before sending a low ball into the box, with García finishing to put Spain ahead.

Nigeria struggled to create clear chances in the first half and had to wait until the 37th minute for their first attempt, with Kafayat Mafisere shooting wide from distance.

The Falconets returned from the break with greater attacking intent, with Precious Oscar and Victory Lucky introduced as Nigeria sought an equaliser.

However, Spain remained dangerous, and goalkeeper Laia López kept out Nigeria’s attempts as the European side maintained its advantage.