Ademola Lookman and Barbra Banda were named the 2024 men’s and women’s African Footballer of the Year respectively on Monday (16 December).
The pair received their accolades at the CAF Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, just short of a year from the men’s football Africa Cup of Nations 2025, which kicks off across the country in December 2025.
Banda became the first Zambian to be crowned the continent’s best player after a stunning season for the Orlando Pride in the United States, guiding them to a domestic double in the NWSL Championship and the NWSL Shield.
She also spearheaded Zambia at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, becoming the first woman to score three hat-tricks at the Olympic Games. Banda netted four goals in three games in Paris, extending her lead as the top scoring African female Olympian.
Lookman was crowned as the African men’s Player of the Year in what has been a breakthrough year with Italian club Atalanta and Nigeria, who he helped qualify for AFCON 2025.
The Super Eagles striker scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final to secure a first European honour for the Bergamo side, who defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and ended their 51-match unbeaten run in style.
Among the other awards of the night, South Africa captain Ronwen Williams won the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year awards, in a year in which the goalkeeper led his nation to third place at AFCON 2023, held in 2024.
The Men’s National Team of the Year accolade was awarded to Cote d’Ivoire, as Nigeria were named the Women’s National Team of the Year.
2024 CAF Awards – All winners
- Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta/Nigeria)
- Women’s Player of the Year: Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia)
- Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns/South Africa)
- Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC/Nigeria)
- Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns/South Africa)
- Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR/Morocco)
- Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara (AS Monaco/Senegal)
- Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani (AS FAR/Morocco)
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
- Men’s National Team of the Year: Cote d’Ivoire
- Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
- Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
- Men’s Referee of the Year: Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
- Women’s Referee of the Year: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
- Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year: Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)
- Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year: Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
- Goal of the Year: Mabululu (Angola)
