Super Eagles duo of Ademola Lookman and William Troost-Ekong have secured coveted nominations for the 2024 Best FIFA Men’s 11.
Lookman was selected for the attacker’s category alongside Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Tottenham Hotspur icon Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and 14 others.
On his part, Troost-Ekong was nominated for the defender’s category, alongside Arsenal defensive duo Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba and 19 others
The players that will be selected for the team will be determined by the votes of fans.
In the past few months, Lookman, who was ranked 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, has been turning heads with his spectacular performances for club and country.
The 27-year-old, recently nominated for the Globe Soccer Awards, is a strong contender for the African Player of the Year Award.
The year 2024 has equally been a good one for Troost-Ekong competing in the Best Defender category against renowned defenders such as Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, William Saliba, Achraf Hakimi, Manuel Akanji, and Jonathan Tah.
Beyond Lookman and Ekong, there is also more to look forward to in the ninth edition of the FIFA Best Awards.
Asisat Oshoala, despite being overlooked for continental awards, has been nominated for the prestigious Marta Award.
Her breathtaking acrobatic strike for Barcelona Femeni against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2023 secured her nomination.
Only two African women footballers made the cut in the main categories: Malawi’s Tabitha Chawinga, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, and Zambia’s Barbra Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride in South Africa.
Both Chawinga and Banda are contenders for the African Women’s Footballer of the Year award, which will be presented in December in Morocco.
Algeria’s Yassine Benzia has been nominated for the Puskas Award for his exceptional goal against South Africa.
