With players such as Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and South Africa's Ronwen Williams in contention to win CAF's prestigious Men's Player of the Year award, an Africa Cup of Nations winner has revealed who should win the prize.
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The Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper only managed to finished ninth in the voting for the Yashine Award at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony earlier this week. He will be hoping to fair better at the African continent's annual prize-giving later this year though.
The CAF Awards will be held in Marrakesh for a second successive year and the 32-year-old is one of the stars up for the award, among others, but will be facing stiff competition as he is being pitted against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain's Hakimi, Borussia Dortmund and Guinea hitman Serhou Guirassy as well as 2023 AFCON winner Simon Adingra.
While Williams may have a compelling case to win the gong given his performances for club and country this past year, 2013 AFCON winner Ogenyi Onazi believes his compatriot Ademola Lookman deserves to keep it in Nigeria.
Last year Victor Osimhen became the first Super Eagles representative in over two decades to win the award, but Onazi believes Lookman's performances for Atalanta and Nigeria deserve to see him crowned as the continent's best player.
"Lookman is an amazing player. He works hard, is very dedicated, and disciplined. I'm really pleased with his achievements and his nomination for the Ballon d'Or at that level," Onazi told Brila.net.
"CAF should just arrange the trophy and keep it for him. Not because he is Nigerian, but because he is currently the best player in Africa. He performed incredibly well last season and deserves every accolade.
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"I will be very disappointed if he doesn't win because there is no valid reason for him not to."
