Anticipation builds as Africa crowns Footballer of the Year

With just hours to the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony, speculation mounted over who would be crowned Africa's footballer of the year.

The awards were slated for Monday, December 16 at the Palais des Congrès in at Marrakech.

Morocco's Achraf Hakimi is seen as a favorite. Winner of the French league and a Champions League semi-finalist with PSG, Hakimi also enjoys 'home advantage' with Marrakech being the host city for this year's awards.

With the Moroccan national team, Hakimi won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. If he wins, Hakimi would become the first Moroccan to be crowned since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.

Nigeria's Ademola Lookman is seen as another favourite after scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final last season - the first player to do so.

Lookman was also a major contributor to Nigeria’s run to winning silver at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January.

Completing the list are Simon Adingra, an integral part of the Ivorian team’s AFCON triumph in January, Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy — who had a remarkable season with German Bundesliga side Stuttgart, and South African Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who is also a finalist for the men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and the Interclub Player of the Year award.

Nigeria's Victor Osimhen was crowned the African Player of the Year in 2023.

Cameroon have won the Footballer of the Year awards, taking home a total of 11 from Roger Milla’s first in 1976 to 2010 when Samuel Eto’o won the last of his record-breaking number of four triumphs.

Ivory Coast and Nigeria take second place having won six each.