How CAF Player of the Year Winners Are Decided As Lookman Sets Sights on the Prize

How CAF Player of the Year Winners Are Decided As Lookman Sets Sights on the Prize

  • The Confederation of African Football has recently announced its final nominees for the Player of the Year Awards
  • The Men's and Women's POTY categories have continued to generate significant conversations ahead of the Marrakech Awards ceremony
  • We shine the spotlight on how the winners of these prestigious awards are determined as Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman eyes his maiden honour

The 2024 edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards is firmly in the spotlight as discussions and predictions about the potential winners of the prestigious honours begin to surface.

Renowned for celebrating a constellation of Africa’s finest football talents, the CAF Awards consistently dominate headlines across the continent, and this year’s edition, scheduled for December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco, promises to uphold this tradition.

Victor Osimhen at the 2023 CAF awards
Victor Osimhen makes a speech at the Confederation of African Football Awards 2023 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech on December 11, 2023. Image: Abu Adem Muhammed.
Source: Getty Images

CAF has already unveiled the nominees for each award category, sparking significant interest, particularly in the Men’s Player of the Year award, which has drawn the most attention.

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Osimhen vs Lookman: Comparing the numbers behind their CAF POTY campaigns in 2023 and 2024

Adding to the excitement, the governing body recently narrowed the shortlist for this coveted prize to a final five contenders.

The final nominees, as announced on CAF's official channels, include Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.

While several past winners and African football stakeholders have loosely tipped Lookman as a strong candidate for the prestigious prize, it’s worth noting that their endorsements have no bearing on the official voting process.

Amid the swirling debates about favourites, we take a closer look at how the winners of the CAF Awards are determined.

How CAF selects the POTY winners

According to CAF Online, the winners of each award category are determined through votes from a diverse panel.

This includes the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, the head coaches and captains of Member Associations, and representatives from clubs participating in the group stages of CAF Interclub competitions.

Read also

Nigerian fans react as CAF readies to publish final nominees for 2024 awards

These esteemed individuals and bodies collaborate to help CAF identify and honour the most deserving winners in each category.

In the 2023 edition, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala claimed the prestigious Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards, respectively.

However, the 2024 edition will see new champions crowned, as neither Osimhen nor Oshoala made the final shortlist this time around.

Hakimi speaks on CAF award

In a separate report by Legit.ng PSG defender, Hakimi, shared his thoughts on the possibility of winning the CAF Player of the Year award.

The former Real Madrid star expressed that winning the prestigious prize would be a great honour, adding a special touch to his career. However, he also emphasised that simply being nominated for the award is already a significant achievement.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ero Samson avatar

Ero Samson (Sports Editor) Samson Ero is a sports journalist with a track record of over six years in the Nigerian media industry. He has honed his skills at EPL Partners Nigeria Limited and Transsion Holdings, where he covered various sports stories and general news working as Content Operation Specialist and Content Coordinator. He graduated from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in 2023. Reach him via email at ero.samson@sportsbrief.com.