The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has faced sharp criticism from Moroccan media following its decision to award Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman the 2024 African Player of the Year title over Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi.
Lookman claimed the prestigious honour ahead of Hakimi and three other nominees in what has turned into a highly contentious decision. Earlier reports, including those from Foot Mercato, had strongly suggested that Hakimi was the favourite to win, further fueling the disappointment and backlash in Morocco after the final announcement.
Prominent Moroccan media outlets wasted no time in expressing their displeasure. According to 365 Scores, Moroccan newspaper Al-Mountakhab harshly criticized CAF, stating: “For the second time in Africa, the Golden Ball has been stolen from Morocco’s Lions.”
The paper accused CAF’s technical committee, responsible for selecting the winner, of acting in an unfair and arbitrary manner. It added: “The committee continues to steal, improvise, and operate randomly, deliberately wronging the Moroccan Lions for the second consecutive time.”
Al-Mountakhab insisted that Hakimi, who has been outstanding for both his club and country, was the rightful winner of the award. Similar sentiments were shared by another Moroccan outlet, Al-Oumk, which ran the headline: “Contrary to expectations… Nigerian Lookman snatches the 2024 African Golden Ball.”
The controversy stems not only from Hakimi’s stellar performances for club and country but also from the widespread speculation that he was a frontrunner for the award. His strong displays for Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco’s national team in recent competitions further solidified his claim in the eyes of Moroccan fans and media alike.
