CAF Awards 2024: controversy, inconsistencies and innovations as Marrakech hosts a colourful night
Marrakech had all eyes on it for one evening. The Moroccan city hosted the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony.
Sport News Africa · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Audio version in preparation · read aloud by your browser meanwhile
One Nigerian follows another. After Victor Osimhen last year, it was Ademola Lookman's turn to lift this prestigious trophy in Marrakech. Even the winner of the African Player of the Year award did not meet with universal approval, with some preferring Guirassy or Hakimi, and the other categories did not escape criticism either. Sport News Africa looks back at the 2024 CAF Awards night, with its controversies and innovations.
Ronwen Williams and Serhou Guirassy left out of the CAF Team of the Year
During the ceremony, the CAF Team of the Year 2024 was unveiled. Two major talking points emerged. Ronwen Williams, Interclub Player of the Year and African Goalkeeper of the Year, is not in it. The players voted for André Onana.
Read also: CAF Awards 2024: Lookman and Banda crowned... all the winners from the night!
Serhou Guirassy, for his part, lost out all round. One of the favourites for the African Player of the Year award, the Guinean watched Lookman pick up the trophy. That is far from a scandal. Since last season, the 28-year-old striker has kept piling up goals. 30 goals in 30 games with Stuttgart. This season in Dortmund colours, he has 12 goals in 17 appearances. Despite impressive numbers, he was ranked behind Victor Osimhen, who led the line in the CAF Team of the Year. That choice can be explained by the fact that the players, through FIFPRO, pick this team of the year. It is a far wider panel, and very different from the one CAF uses for its main awards.
Who wouldn’t want to watch this team? 🤯
The 𝐂𝐀𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐌𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐗𝐈 belongs in a museum. 🖼️⁰#CAFAwards2024 | @FIFProAfrica | @FIFPRO pic.twitter.com/XQZzmoyxfx
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 16, 2024
Controversy over the Goal of the Year
Several fine goals were in contention in this category. In the end, Angola's Mabululu took the award for his strike at the 2023 AFCON against Namibia, with 121,192 points. He was backed by the public vote.
When CAF released the videos of the nominated goals, all eyes were on Denis Omedi's excellent effort. The Ugandan scored a magical goal, combining balance and technique for his club Kitara against KCCA in the Ugandan Super 8. He finished only 6th with 13,766 points. Yassine Benzia could also have had a claim, the Algerian having scored a sensational overhead kick against South Africa. But as is so often the case, this award is decided by a fan vote, and the winner is very often the player whose community mobilised the most. Mabululu can thank the Angolan supporters.
Show me a better goal than this one by Ugandan Kitara FC forward Dennis Omedi's
I will wait pic.twitter.com/nqEUtLagWo
— Afrika Stories (@Afrika_Stories) November 29, 2024
Lamine Camara ahead of Karim Konaté for Young Player of the Year
The Young African Player of the Year award going to Lamine Camara did not please everyone. Most observers had the Ivorian Karim Konaté down as the winner after he shone for Red Bull Salzburg over the year.
The facts speak for Karim Konaté. He is an AFCON 2023 winner with the Elephants, top scorer in the Austrian league with 20 goals, Austrian champion and ranked 8th for the Kopa Trophy, which rewards the best players under 21 at the Ballon d'Or.
He liked it too much the first time he had to repeat it just to make sure! 💎🇸🇳 #CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/umNtUHuVeu
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) December 16, 2024
Moroccan crowd's unsporting reaction to Ademola Lookman
The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony was held in Morocco. A few hours before the start, a wild rumour spread like wildfire, saying Achraf Hakimi had won the African Player of the Year award. When Ademola Lookman was announced, the Moroccan crowd at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech chanted the name of the PSG right-back.
THE MOMENT FOR ADEMOLA LOOKMAN 🔥🔥🇳🇬🇳🇬
pic.twitter.com/8J2NcfEwOw— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) December 16, 2024
Morocco is still waiting for a new African Player of the Year winner. The last was in 1998, when the formidable striker Mustapha Hadji won it.
Major innovations from CAF
The 2024 edition of the CAF Awards brought a major innovation. The continent's best referees were honoured for the first time. On the women's side, the Moroccan was named Referee of the Year and Zambia's Diana Chikotesha Assistant Referee of the Year. Mutaz Ibrahim (Libya) and Elvis Guy Nguegoue (Cameroon) are respectively men's Referee of the Year and Assistant Referee of the Year 2024.