Nigeria has set a new record for the most Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Player of the Year wins following Ademola Lookman’s triumph as the 2024 African Player of the Year.
Lookman was crowned the continent’s best at the prestigious CAF Awards held on Monday night in Marrakesh, Morocco. This victory marks Nigeria’s seventh CAF Player of the Year title, surpassing Côte d’Ivoire’s six wins.
Notably, Nigeria remains the only country to win the award consecutively on three separate occasions, with different players. The full list of Nigerian winners includes:
Rashidi Yekini (1993)
Emmanuel Amuneke (1994)
Kanu Nwankwo (1996, 1999)
Victor Ikpeba (1997)
Victor Osimhen (2023)
Ademola Lookman (2024)
Côte d’Ivoire ranks second with six wins, led by Yaya Toure’s record four titles and Didier Drogba’s two. Cameroon has five titles, with Samuel Eto’o securing four and Patrick Mboma winning once.
Senegal follows with three wins, courtesy of El Hadji Diouf (two) and Sadio Mané (one).
Other notable winners of the award include:
Abedi Pele (Ghana)
Mustapha Hadji (Morocco)
Frédéric Kanouté (Mali)
George Weah (Liberia)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
Nigeria’s achievement reflects its consistent production of world-class football talent, further solidifying its status as a powerhouse in African football history.