CAF announces a 10-man shortlist for the CAF Player of the Year award every year during this period. One player from this list ultimately wins the prestigious award. This year, many players have delivered exceptional performances.
Serhou Guirassy has contributed an incredible number of goals for Stuttgart, taking the Bundesliga by storm. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also shown signs of returning to his old form in France.
Potential candidates for the list include Brahim Diaz and Edmond Tapsoba, who have elevated their game this season, as well as long-established stars at the top of European football, like Mohammed Kudus, Achraf Hakimi, and Mohamed Salah.
However, aside from these well-known players, there are four Nigerians with a strong chance of being nominated for the award. In fact, four of the ten players on the shortlist could potentially be from the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Last year, captain William Troost-Ekong made a significant impact at AFCON, scoring three crucial goals and leading his team to the final. Although Nigeria lost 2-1 to Côte d’Ivoire in the final, Troost-Ekong scored his team’s only goal, making him the first defender in AFCON history to score in a final. With a total of five goals in the tournament, Troost-Ekong also became the highest-scoring defender in AFCON history. This year, he won the Greek league with PAOK before transferring to Al-Kahood.
Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen, who currently plays for Galatasaray, is widely regarded as one of the top five strikers in the world. Despite Napoli’s poor season, Osimhen remains an exceptional player. There are rumors that he may move to a global powerhouse like Chelsea for a hefty transfer fee in the winter or at the end of the season.
In his absence, another Victor has stepped up—Victor Boniface. The young forward won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, as well as the German Cup and the Super Cup. Despite being just 23 years old, Boniface scored 21 goals over the season.
However, when it comes to last season’s performance, Ademola Lookman deserves special recognition. The 26-year-old helped Atalanta win the Europa League, scoring stunning goals that led his team to a 3-0 victory in the final. He became the first player in over 50 years to achieve such a feat in a European final. Lookman’s incredible form also shone at AFCON, where he was Nigeria’s joint-top scorer alongside captain Troost-Ekong. Lookman is now seen as perhaps the strongest contender for the CAF Player of the Year award.
It remains to be seen how many of these four players will make the final 10-man shortlist.
