MARRAKECH — African football club powerhouse, Al-Ahly was voted the best club in Africa at the 2024 CAF Awards held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Egyptian giants, who boast the title of being Africa’s most successful club of all time with 12 CAF Champions League titles to their name, won the award for the second consecutive time.
Accepting the award on behalf of the club, Al-Ahly board member Mohamed el-Ghazawy thanked the CAF leadership for the great work that they have put into developing African football.
“I extend my appreciation to CAF and the CAF President for all the efforts they make for African football. It’s a great honour and privilege to receive the award for the best club of the year,” said El-Ghazawy.
“I hope in God’s will that we will be back on this stage next year to receive for the third consecutive year. I congratulate the fans of Al-Ahly who have always been the primary source of inspiration,” El-Ghazawy added according to cafonline.com.
Meanwhile, Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, Zambia striker Barbra Banda and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams were the big winners at a star-studded 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, as Africa’s best performers for the year were honoured.
The glittering ceremony was attended by football royalty from the continent and beyond in a celebration of the incredible growth and development of the game in Africa, and the astonishing strides that have been made in men’s and women’s football in recent years.
Lookman was named CAF Men’s Player of the Year after a sensational 12 months with Italian side Atalanta and the Nigeria’s Super Eagles follows in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, who claimed the award in 2023.
It is the first time Nigeria has had back-to-back winners in the Men’s award since Nwankwo Kanu (1996) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) were honoured almost three decades ago.
Banda took the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season in the United States by storm as she helped Orlando Pride to the NWSL Shield and Championship, scoring the decisive goal in the final against Washington Spirit.
Her hat-trick for Zambia at Paris Olympics 2024 was her third in Olympic Games football, an all-time record in the competition, elevating her to among the greats to have played the game.
Banda became the first player from Africa to be included in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 in 2024.
Williams was the only double winner on the night, collecting the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year awards.
His spectacular penalty saves at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 will live long in the memory, including four in the quarter-final shootout win against Cape Verde as he captained South Africa to the bronze medal.
The 32-year-old helped his club Mamelodi Sundowns set a joint record low of just 11 goals conceded in 30 games in the South African Premiership as they eased to a seventh domestic league title in succession.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie claimed the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second year in a row having had another outstanding season for French side Paris FC, where she was named Première Ligue Goalkeeper of the Season for 2023-24.
AS FAR and Morocco international forward Sanaâ Mssoudy won the Women’s Interclub Player of the Year having claimed the Best Player award at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Lamine Camara of Senegal and Monaco was the Men’s Young Player of the Year as the versatile box-to-box midfielder shone for club and country with his dynamic displays.
Doha El Madani of AS FAR and Morocco won the Women’s Young Player of the Year as the 19-year-old secured the Golden Boot at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League with six goals in five matches.
The Men’s Coach of the Year went to Emerse Fae after he led Cote d’Ivoire from the brink of elimination to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in one of the great global sports stories of 2024.
Moroccan tactician Lamia Boumehdi was named Women’s Coach of the Year as she led TP Mazembe from the DR Congo to the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League title with a win over AS FAR in the decider.
Cote d’Ivoire’s continental crown saw them named Men’s National Team of the Year, while Nigeria’s Super Falcons were the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Al Ahly’s fourth CAF Champions League win in five years made them worthy winners of Men’s Club of the Year, while TP Mazembe took home the Women’s Club of the Year.
Goal of the Year was won by Angola’s Mabululu for his audacious finish against Namibia at the continental finals in Cote d’Ivoire. This was the only award voted for by fans.
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