In recent days, rumors suggested that Achraf Hakimi would win the African Player of the Year 2024 award, more commonly known as the African Ballon d’Or, on Monday at home during the CAF Awards 2024 in Marrakech.
Unfortunately for the right side of Paris Saint-Germainthese rumors in the corridors turned out to be unfounded and it is Ademola Lookman who was acclaimed by the jury of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Remember that the latter is made up of three distinct colleges, which obviously had different opinions.
If CAF did not, as usual, communicate any details on the final ranking of the 2024 African Player of the Year or on the votes, certain indiscretions would have leaked. According to journalist Youssef Amenzou, the media and the selection captains would have favored Lookman rather than Hakimi, while only the college of selectors would have put the bronze medalist of the 2024 Olympic Games in the lead. Insufficient to give him victory.
CAF has not published any ranking or details of the votes
Each of the voters had 5 players to choose from by ranking them in order of preference, the first receiving 5 points and the last one point. With his hat-trick scored in Europa League finale with Atalanta Bergamo, Lookman had solid arguments, while Hakimi was weighed down in particular by his missed penalty in the round of 16 of the last CAN against South Africa, which contributed to confirming the elimination of his country.
While the Guinean of Borussia Dortmund, Serhou Guirassy was also among the big 3 favorites for the 2024 African Ballon d’Orwe hope that CAF will soon publish the details of the votes for the sake of transparency. During the ceremony of CAF Awardsthe president of the body, Patrice Motsepe, has indeed highlighted on several occasions the supervision of the voting process by the audit company PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
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