Sports

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

Published

1 year ago

December 16, 2024

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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

FIFA ranks Super Eagles third in Africa, 26th globally

Globally, France has reclaimed the number one spot after wins over Colombia and Brazil, overtaking Spain, which was held to a goalless draw by a ten-man Egypt. Argentina, England, Portugal, and Brazil round out the top six.

Published

13 hours ago

April 1, 2026

OCHEFA

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The world’s football body , FIFA, has ranked Nigeria’s Super Eagles third in Africa (behind Morocco and Senegal), and 26th globally.

In a post on FIFA’s website on Wednesday, the ranking reflects Nigeria’s strong performances in friendlies, including a 2‑1 win over Iran and a 2‑2 draw with Jordan, as well as their showing at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

In the 2025 AFCON tournament, Nigeria won five matches against Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, and Algeria, drew with Morocco in the semi-finals, and defeated Egypt in the third-place playoff.

Other nations saw minor adjustments in the rankings.

Iran slipped from 20th to 21st following consecutive defeats, while Jordan moved up to 63rd after draws with Nigeria and Costa Rica.

Sports

FirstBank Sponsors Samuel Okwaraji U-16 Football Championship 2026

The tournament will engage secondary schools from all 36 states and the FCT, in a two-stage competition.

Published

17 hours ago

April 1, 2026

OCHEFA

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FirstBank, through its First@Sports initiative, is sponsoring the maiden edition of the Samuel Okwaraji Under 16 Football Championship.

The competition is a nationwide youth football tournament organised to honour the late Samuel Okwaraji, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated football legends renowned for his patriotism, discipline, and commitment to national service.

The tournament will engage secondary schools from all 36 states and the FCT, in a two-stage competition.

The first stage will feature zonal eliminations across the six geopolitical zones, followed by a national final in Abuja featuring the top 12 qualifying teams.

In a statement , the Managing Director/ CEO of FirstBank, Olusegun Alebiosu, said: “Football is the strongest unifier of Nigerians. It brings communities together, inspires discipline, and nurtures talents across the country.

FirstBank is making a deliberate incursion into grassroots football development with this sponsorship, creating an enabling environment for the next generation of Samuel Okwarajis to discover, refine, and maximise their potential, thereby shaping the future of Nigerian football.”

In his remarks, Senator Osita Izunaso, the Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee commended FirstBank for throwing its weight around the championship.

Sports

Sportsville Awards: Olopade Leads NSC Delegation to Honour Dikko with Transformative Impact Award

Published

2 days ago

March 31, 2026

Charles Flames

46 Views

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, on Tuesday led a high-powered delegation from the Commission to the prestigious Sportsville Awards in Lagos to honour NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko.

Dikko is set to receive the Transformative Impact Award at the 2026 edition of the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to repositioning Nigerian sports.

The NSC delegation’s presence underscored the Commission’s unity and support for its Chairman, who has been widely praised for driving reforms, fostering inclusivity, and delivering renewed optimism in Nigerian sports administration alongside Olopade.

Former NPFL scribe Salihu Abubakar and other stakeholders have already extended congratulations to Dikko, describing the nomination as well-deserved.

Stakeholders, including Dr. Danladi Bako, have lauded Sportsville as one of the most authentic sports awards in the country, commending the organisers for recognising genuine impact in the sector.

The sixth edition of the Sportsville Awards, which also featured former Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, as a top guest, celebrates excellence and transformative contributions across Nigeria’s sporting ecosystem.

Other nominees include Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo and several prominent figures in sports development.

Hon. Olopade, who himself was recently crowned Sports Administrator of the Year at the New Telegraph Awards, dedicated previous honours to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman Dikko, highlighting the collaborative leadership driving Nigeria’s sports renaissance.

Mallam Shehu Dikko’s leadership at the NSC has been credited with major gains in infrastructure, athlete welfare, and international competitiveness, marking a turning point for Nigerian sports.

The event is expected to draw key stakeholders from the sports industry, government, and private sector as it honours individuals making lasting contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria.

Full coverage and reactions from the awards ceremony are anticipated as the night unfolds in Lagos.