Super Eagles stars Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong have been nominated for the Best Attacker and Best Defender of the Year awards, respectively, in recognition of their stellar performances for both club and country this year.
Ademola Lookman will compete against the likes of Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Harry Kane, Luis Suárez, and 16 others for the Best Attacker of the Year title.
His remarkable contributions to Atalanta, where he played a key role in helping the club secure its first major trophies in 60 years, have been instrumental.
Notably, Lookman became the first African player to score a hat trick in a European club tournament. Lookman’s efforts in leading the Super Eagles to the 2024 AFCON final have further solidified his reputation.
Lookman also finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings and is widely regarded as a strong contender to succeed Victor Osimhen as Africa’s Best Player in December 2024.
Similarly, Super Eagles captain and defender William Troost-Ekong is among the nominees for the Best Defender of the Year award. He will compete against some of Europe’s finest defenders for this honor. Troost-Ekong played a pivotal role in helping Nigeria reach the 2024 AFCON final, setting a record as the defender with the most goals in AFCON history.
Although Troost-Ekong was initially shortlisted for the African Footballer of the Year award, he narrowly missed out when the list was trimmed to the final five players, leaving Lookman as Nigeria’s sole representative.
According to FIFA, voting is now open on FIFA.com across several award categories, giving fans a significant role in determining the winners.
The categories include The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. Fans can cast their votes starting Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
