Ademola Lookman, Barbra Banda, and Ronwen Williams shine at 2024 CAF Awards

Ademola Lookman (right) and Barbra Banda hold their awards at the CAF Awards 2024 in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 17, 2024. [CAF]

African football's finest gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday night, December 16, 2024 for the 2024 CAF Awards, a celebration of excellence in African football over the past year.

Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, Zambian striker Barbra Banda, and South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams emerged as the evening's standout winners.

Lookman clinched the coveted CAF Men’s Player of the Year award after a stellar year with Atalanta in Italy and Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

His win marked a historic moment for Nigeria, as the nation now boasts back-to-back winners in the category for the first time since Nwankwo Kanu and Victor Ikpeba achieved the feat in the late 1990s. Lookman follows Victor Osimhen, who claimed the honour in 2023.

Barbra Banda’s record-breaking exploits earned her the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award. The Zambian striker powered Orlando Pride to both the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Shield and Championship in the United States, scoring the decisive goal in the final. Banda also etched her name in history at the 2024 Paris Olympics with her third career hat-trick in Olympic football, a feat unmatched by any player. Her inclusion in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 further cemented her status among football’s elite.

South Africa’s Ronwen Williams took home two major awards: Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year. Williams delivered heroic performances at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire, notably saving four penalties in a quarter-final shootout against Cape Verde. He also led Mamelodi Sundowns to a seventh consecutive South African Premiership title, conceding just 11 goals in 30 matches, a joint league record.

Other notable winners included Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who retained her Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year title after another stellar season with Paris FC in France, and Senegal’s Lamine Camara, who was named Men’s Young Player of the Year. Camara’s dynamic displays for club and country earned him plaudits, as did the Golden Boot-winning efforts of Morocco’s Doha El Madani, who was named Women’s Young Player of the Year.

The coaching awards highlighted outstanding leadership, with Côte d’Ivoire’s Emerse Faé earning Men’s Coach of the Year for guiding his team to an Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil. Lamia Boumehdi of Morocco was named Women’s Coach of the Year after steering TP Mazembe to their first CAF Women’s Champions League title.

Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria were recognized as the Men’s and Women’s National Teams of the Year, respectively. Al Ahly’s dominance in African club football earned them Men’s Club of the Year, while TP Mazembe took the women’s equivalent.

Angolan forward Mabululu’s stunning strike against Namibia at the Africa Cup of Nations was named Goal of the Year, the only fan-voted category.

CAF also celebrated the continent’s top match officials, with Libya’s Mutaz Ibrahim and Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi winning the men’s and women’s referee awards. Cameroon's Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue and Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha were honored as the best assistant referees.