The Atalanta striker had a stellar year, playing a pivotal role in Nigeria’s journey to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final with three goals and two assists. He also delivered a hat-trick in May to secure Atalanta’s UEFA Europa Cup victory over Bayer Leverkusen. Lookman has carried his form into the current season, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 18 appearances, including a standout goal against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
Lookman beat a strong field of contenders, including Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi. Nigeria now holds seven CAF Player of the Year titles, second only to Cameroon’s 11, with previous Nigerian winners including Rashidi Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu, and Emmanuel Amuneke.
In the women’s category, Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie retained her Goalkeeper of the Year title, rewarding a year in which she played a crucial role in Nigeria’s qualification for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after a 16-year absence. However, Zambian captain Barbara Banda ended Asisat Oshoala’s reign as Women’s Player of the Year, denying the Nigerian a record-extending seventh title.
The Super Falcons also retained their Women’s National Team of the Year title after maintaining their top spot on FIFA’s African rankings. Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Gusau, who received the award, dedicated it to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
Despite these accolades, the Super Eagles missed out on the Men’s Team of the Year award to AFCON champions Ivory Coast.
Other notable winners included:
- Men’s Club of the Year: Egypt’s Al Ahly
- Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe of DR Congo
- Men’s Young Player of the Year: Senegal’s Lamine Camara
- Women’s Young Player of the Year: Egypt’s Doha El Madani
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Ivory Coast’s Emerse Fae
- Women’s Coach of the Year: TP Mazembe’s Lamia Boumehdi
- Goal of the Year: Angola’s Cristovao Mabululu
South Africa’s Ronwen Williams and Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy also earned top honors in the interclub categories, capping a memorable evening that celebrated African football’s best talents.
