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Super Eagles stars Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong have been nominated for the 2024 FIFA Best Awards, recognizing their outstanding performances for club and country.
Lookman earned a spot in the attackers’ category, joining the likes of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, and others.
Troost-Ekong was nominated in the defenders’ category alongside Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and several other top performers.
Lookman’s nomination is well-deserved, given his impressive year. He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings and is a top contender for the African Men’s Footballer of the Year.
His exploits with Atalanta in the Europa League and his performances with Nigeria at the AFCON in February have solidified his reputation.
So far this season, he has contributed nine goals and five assists in 15 appearances for Atalanta, further reflecting his attacking prowess.
Troost-Ekong’s nomination reflects his leadership and defensive excellence. He led the Super Eagles to their first AFCON final in a decade, earning MVP honours at the tournament.
His commanding presence and defensive mastery have made him one of the standout defenders of the year, even though he narrowly missed out on the final shortlist for the African Men’s Footballer of the Year award.
In other categories, Southampton’s Paul Onuachu has been nominated for the Puskas Award, while Asisat Oshoala will compete for the Marta Award.
The FIFA Fan Award will be determined entirely by fan votes, while an expert panel will select the recipient of the FIFA Fair Play Award.
