Football fans across Africa and around the globe eagerly await the announcement of the winner of the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent's governing body for the sport.
The CAF Awards, however, go beyond recognising footballers alone. These prestigious accolades celebrate the broader contributors to African football, including coaches, referees, teams, and young players.
Categories such as Women’s Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Youth Player of the Year, and Team of the Year underline the awards’ commitment to highlighting excellence across all facets of the game, both on and off the pitch.
When is the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony?
The 2024 CAF Awards are scheduled to be held at the prestigious Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday, December 16.
The ceremony is set to commence at 7:00pm Moroccan time (6:00pm GMT, 7:00pm Nigerian time, 8:00pm South African Standard Time, and 9:00pm East African Time).
Guests, including players and officials, are expected to begin arriving at the venue approximately 90 minutes before the event officially begins.
Where to watch the 2024 CAF awards
As of this writing, CAF have not officially confirmed whether a live stream of the 2024 CAF Awards will be available. However, based on precedent, the ceremony is expected to be streamed live on the confederation's official website.
In previous editions, fans could watch the event on CAF’s website, CAFonline.com, and its official YouTube channel, CAF TV. Last year, over 20 broadcasters aired the ceremony both continentally and internationally.
For this year’s event, SuperSport will broadcast the awards on SuperSport Variety 4 in South Africa and SuperSport Africa 1 across the rest of the continent.
Meanwhile, Canal+ Sport is anticipated to provide coverage for Francophone African countries, and beIN Sports will cater to audiences in North Africa.
Will Ademola Lookman win the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award?
Ademola Lookman has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to succeed his compatriot Victor Osimhen as CAF’s African Player of the Year.
Lookman’s exceptional performances in 2024 have solidified his place as a standout contender. His decisive contributions include scoring the winning goal for Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final, spearheading La Dea’s impressive start to the ongoing Serie A season, and playing a pivotal role in leading Nigeria to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Atalanta forward concluded the 2023/24 campaign with 33 goal contributions, comprising goals and assists, for club and country.
Although Lookman is widely regarded as a strong contender for the prestigious CAF Player of the Year award, the other four shortlisted nominees—Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Serhou Guirassy, and Ronwen Williams—also present compelling cases for the title.
