SportsNews

Lookman, four others nominated for 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2024

Ekwutos Blog

Ademola Lookman

Nigeria international, Ademola Lookman, has been shortlisted for the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.

This was announced on the official website of the Confederation of African Football on Thursday.

Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, is the only Nigerian among the five nominees for this prestigious award.

The winner will be crowned during a ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday, December 16.

The gala will be held at the Palais des Congrès.

The CAF Men’s Player of the Year award has celebrated Africa’s top footballers since its inception in 1970.

The nominees for this year’s award are:

Simon Adingra (Côte d’Ivoire & Brighton & Hove Albion)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea & Borussia Dortmund)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & Paris Saint-Germain)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria & Atalanta)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)

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The award was first introduced by France Football magazine in 1970, with CAF taking over in 1992.

The inaugural recipient was Salif Keïta of Mali, recognised for his performances with Saint-Étienne in France.

Subsequent winners include notable footballers like Ibrahim Sunday (Ghana, 1971) and Chérif Souleymane (Guinea, 1972). The France Football Award ran until 1994, while CAF’s version began in 1992.

Abedi Pele of Ghana won the CAF award three consecutive times from 1991 to 1993. George Weah of Liberia made history in 1995 as the first (and only) African to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or.

The record for most Men’s Player of the Year titles is held jointly by Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) and Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire), each with four titles. Touré remains the only player to win it four years in a row (2011-2014).

Among active players, Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mané of Senegal have each won the award twice.

Past CAF Men’s Player of the Year winners are:
1992: Abedi Pele (Ghana)
1993: Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria)
1994: Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria)
1995: George Weah (Liberia)
1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
1997: Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria)
1998: Mustapha Hadji (Morocco)
1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
2000: Patrick Mboma (Cameroon)
2001: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
2002: El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
2003: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2004: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2005: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2006: Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)
2007: Frédéric Kanouté (Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)
2012: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)
2013: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)
2014: Yaya Touré (Côte d’Ivoire)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
2017: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
2018: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
2019: Sadio Mané (Senegal)
2020: Awards not held due to COVID-19
2021: Awards not held due to COVID-19
2022: Sadio Mané (Senegal)
2023: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

SportsNews

Chelsea mathematically out of title race after 3-0 defeat to Everton

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.

This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.

However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.

Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.

The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.

Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.

SportsNews

Super Eagles player bounced me from Iheanacho’s room — Osimhen

Published

3 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.

According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.

Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.

He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.

“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”

Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.

SportsNews

AFCON 2025; Drama as Senegal Reportedly Relocates Trophy To Military Base After CAF Decision (Video)

Published

4 days ago

March 20, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.

‎It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.

This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.

‎ According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.

The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.

In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.