Lookman Crowned Africa’s Best as Nigeria Shines at 2024 CAF Awards

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman was named the African Player of The Year at the prestigious 2024 CAF Awards ceremony held in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday. The night also celebrated Nigeria’s dominance, with the Super Falcons retaining the Women’s National Team of The Year award and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie securing her second consecutive Goalkeeper of The Year title.

Lookman’s victory marks him as the seventh Nigerian to win the award, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Victor Osimhen. The Atalanta star enjoyed a standout year, contributing three goals and two assists as Nigeria reached the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in February. His stellar performance included a hat-trick in May, leading Atalanta to the UEFA Europa League title over Bayer Leverkusen.

The 26-year-old striker’s impressive season continued with 11 goals and five assists across 18 matches, including a notable goal against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Lookman beat strong contenders such as Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams to claim the coveted title.

With Lookman’s triumph, Nigeria now boasts seven African Player of The Year winners, moving ahead of Ivory Coast. Other Nigerian legends to have won the award include Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997), and Victor Osimhen (2023).

On the women’s side, Chiamaka Nnadozie cemented her status as Africa’s top goalkeeper, clinching her second consecutive Women’s Goalkeeper of The Year award. The Paris FC shot-stopper played a pivotal role in securing Nigeria’s qualification for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for the first time in 16 years. However, Zambia’s Barbara Banda edged Nnadozie to win the Women’s Player of The Year award, ending Asisat Oshoala’s reign.

The Super Falcons capped off a remarkable year by retaining the Women’s National Team of The Year title, reaffirming their status as Africa’s best female football team. Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Gusau, who received the award on behalf of the team, dedicated it to Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.

Despite the night’s success, the Super Eagles narrowly missed out on the Men’s National Team of The Year award, which went to AFCON champions Ivory Coast.

Other notable winners include:

• Men’s Club of The Year: Al Ahly (Egypt)
• Women’s Club of The Year: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
• Men’s Young Player of The Year: Lamine Camara (Senegal)
• Women’s Young Player of The Year: Doha El Madani (Egypt)
• Men’s Goalkeeper of The Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
• Coach of The Year: Emerse Fae (Ivory Coast – Men), Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe – Women)
• Goal of The Year: Cristovao Mabululu (Angola)

The ceremony underscored Nigeria’s dominance in African football and highlighted the country’s rising stars on the global stage.

Governor Otti Demands ₦50bn from Toby Chuks for Defamation Over Facebook Post

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has issued a legal demand for a public apology, a retraction, and ₦50 billion in damages from Hon. Tobias Chukwudi Egeonu, also known as Hon. Toby Chuks, for an allegedly defamatory post on Facebook.

In a letter dated December 13, 2024, Otti’s legal counsel, Dr. Sonny Ajala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, called the publication, titled “What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist: Vol. 1,” a “libelous attack from the pits of hell.” The post, which was published on Egeonu’s Facebook page on December 8, accused Governor Otti of corruption during his tenure as Group Managing Director of the defunct Diamond Bank and of mismanaging state funds since taking office as governor.

Ajala slammed the allegations as “patented falsehoods” that have caused Otti significant reputational damage and emotional distress. The lawyer stated that the post has led to “unquantifiable mental torture, depression, denigration, and corrosive erosion of reputation,” tarnishing Otti’s image among the public, the banking community, and the people of Abia State.

In the letter, the governor’s legal team demanded that Egeonu retract the defamatory post within seven days, posting a written apology both on his Facebook page and in four national newspapers—ThisDay, The Punch, The Nation, and The National Ambassador. Additionally, they are demanding ₦50 billion in damages for the harm caused by the post.

Failure to comply with the demands will result in legal action, the letter warns. Ajala highlighted the widespread circulation of the post, noting that many people had already read and commented on the defamatory publication across various platforms, including WhatsApp.

Governor Otti has firmly denied all the accusations, asserting that he has no criminal indictment, and has requested that Egeonu retract the defamatory publication and compensate him for the damages caused.

The letter also referenced a subsequent follow-up post, “What Alex Otti Cannot Destroy Does Not Exist: Vol. 2,” further amplifying the falsehoods against the governor.