Africa’s top performers for the year were recognised at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday. South Africa’s goalie Ronwen Williams, Zambia’s Barbra Banda, and Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman were victorious.
Football aristocracy from across the continent and beyond attended the glitzy event, which celebrated the game’s remarkable expansion and development in Africa as well as the extraordinary advancements made in men’s and women’s football in recent years.
CAF Men’s Player of the Year
Following in the footsteps of fellow countryman Victor Osimhen, who won the accolade in 2023, Lookman was voted CAF Men’s Player of the Year following an incredible 12 months with Italian team Atalanta and Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
Since Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were recognised nearly thirty years ago, Nigeria has never had back-to-back winners of the Men’s prize.
CAF Women’s Player of the Year
Bandra Banda took over from Asisat Oshoala as she was crowned the new CAF Women’s player of the Year.
She scored the game-winning goal in the final against Washington Spirit to lead Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship, taking the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the US by storm.
Her third Olympic Games football hat-trick for Zambia at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris set a record for the competition and made her one of the greatest players of all time.
In 2024, Banda was the first African player to be selected for the FIFPRO Women’s World 11.
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year & Men’s Interclub Player of the Year awards
Williams won both the Men’s Interclub Player of the Year and Men’s Keeper of the Year titles, making him the only double winner of the evening.
He will be remembered for his incredible penalty saves at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, including four in the quarterfinal shootout victory over Cape Verde, where he led South Africa to the bronze.
As Mamelodi Sundowns easily won their eighth consecutive domestic league title, the 32-year-old assisted his team in setting a joint record low of just 11 goals given up in 30 games in the South African Premiership.
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year
Following another stellar season for Paris FC, where she was voted Première Ligue Goalkeeper of the Season for 2023–24, Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie won the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year title for the second consecutive year.
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year
Sanaâ Mssoudy, a forward for AS FAR and Morocco, received the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award after winning the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League Best Player title.
Men’s Young Player of the Year
The Men’s Young Player of the Year was Senegal and Monaco’s Lamine Camara, a versatile box-to-box midfielder who excelled for both club and nation with his impressive performances.
Women’s Young Player of the Year
Doha El Madani, a 19-year-old Moroccan and AS FAR player, won the Women’s Young Player of the Year award after scoring six goals in five games to win the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Men’s Coach of the Year
After leading Cote d’Ivoire from the verge of elimination to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations triumph on home soil in one of the biggest international sporting events of 2024, Emerse Fae was named the Men’s Coach of the Year.
Women’s Coach of the Year
The 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League title was won by Moroccan tactician Lamia Boumehdi, who was crowned Women’s Coach of the Year after leading TP Mazembe from the DR Congo to victory over AS FAR in the final.
Men’s National Team Of The Year
Cote d’Ivoire’s continental crown saw them named Men’s National Team of the Year.
Women’s National Team Of The Year
Nigeria’s Super Falcons were the Women’s National Team of the Year.
In other awards, Al Ahly’s fourth TotalEnergies CAF Champions League win in five years made them worthy winners of Men’s Club of the Year, while TP Mazembe took home the Women’s Club of the Year.
Goal of the Year was won by Angola’s Mabululu for his audacious finish against Namibia at the continental finals in Cote d’Ivoire. This was the only award voted for by fans.
In line with the commitment of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe at last year’s event, match officials were also honoured at the 2024 CAF Awards, Mutaz Ibrahim of Libya was named Men’s Referee of the Year, while Morocco’s Bouchra Karboubi was Women’s Referee of the Year.
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue of Cameroon was awarded Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year and Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha the Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year.
The Men’s CAF-FIFPRO Africa Best XI for Men and women were also named and honoured the top performers from the continent in each position.
2024 CAF AWARDS WINNERS
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria / Atalanta)
CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Lamine Camara (Senegal / AS Monaco)
CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Emerse Fae (Cote d’Ivoire)
CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Cote d’Ivoire
CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Nigeria
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Al Ahly (Egypt)
CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya)
CAF REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)
Elvis Guy Noupue Nguegoue (Cameroon)
CAF ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
Diana Chikotesha (Zambia)
CAF GOAL OF THE YEAR
Mabululu (Angola)
