Sports

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

Published

1 year ago

December 16, 2024

384 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

Edo Queens Win 2025/26 NWFL Title

They won the title after drawing goalless with Bayelsa Queens in the final round of NWFL Premiership Super Six fixtures at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday.

Published

6 hours ago

June 15, 2026

OCHEFA

15 Views

Edo Queens have been crowned champions of the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) for the 2025/26 season.

They won the title after drawing goalless with Bayelsa Queens in the final round of NWFL Premiership Super Six fixtures at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Sunday.

This was s their second NWFL title in three years for coach Moses Aduku’s team.

Before the game, Adaaa Edo Queens were on nine points, needing only one point to be crowned champions.

Sports

World Cup: Japan Holds Netherlands To 2-2 Draw

A draw gives each team one point, so neither gains an early advantage in the group. Their exact positions would depend on the result of the other group match.

Published

7 hours ago

June 15, 2026

OCHEFA

11 Views

Japan came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their opening World Cup match, with Daichi Kamada’s 88th-minute header rescuing a point in Dallas.

The Netherlands took the lead in the 51st minute when Virgil van Dijk headed home to make it 1-0. Japan responded six minutes later through Keito Nakamura, who levelled the score at 1-1 in the 57th minute.

The Dutch regained the advantage in the 64th minute when Crysencio Summerville curled a superb strike into the net for a 2-1 lead.

However, Japan struck again with two minutes remaining as Kamada headed in the equaliser to make it 2-2.

The Netherlands controlled possession throughout the game and held a slight edge in expected goals.

Both teams registered 10 shots, but the Dutch were more accurate, recording six shots on target to Japan’s three.

Despite spending less time on the ball and producing fewer efforts on target, Japan capitalised on their key opportunities and left with a valuable point, while the Netherlands were unable to turn their possession advantage into victory.

A draw gives each team one point, so neither gains an early advantage in the group. Their exact positions would depend on the result of the other group match.

Sports

World Cup: Sweden beats Tunisia 5-1

For Tunisia, the defeat leaves little margin for error heading into their next group fixture, while Sweden have immediately established themselves as serious contenders for a place in the knockout rounds.

Published

7 hours ago

June 15, 2026

OCHEFA

14 Views

Sweden on Monday started their FIFA World Cup campaign on a good note , cruising to a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia in their Group F opener at Estadio Monterrey stadium.

The Scandinavian side took control early through Yasin Ayari, who opened the scoring with a stunning strike in the seventh minute before Alexander Isak doubled the advantage after half an hour.

Tunisia briefly threatened a comeback when Omar Rekik pulled a goal back just before half-time, but Sweden returned after the interval with renewed intensity.

Viktor Gyökeres extended Sweden’s lead in the 59th minute before substitute Mattias Svanberg and Ayari added late goals to seal an emphatic victory.

Ayari was the standout performer, scoring twice in an impressive World Cup debut, while Isak finished with a goal and two assists and Gyökeres contributed a goal and an assist.

Sweden’s clinical finishing ultimately made the difference. Although Tunisia enjoyed periods of possession and created opportunities, they lacked composure in the final third and paid heavily for defensive lapses.The result gives Sweden an early advantage in Group F after Netherlands and Japan shared the points in a 2-2 draw on Sunday.