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Osimhen and Lookman Make the 2024 CAF Best Africa XI Alongside Salah and Other Players
Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have been named to the prestigious 2024 CAF Best Africa XI.
The two Nigerian forwards, who have made significant contributions to their respective teams, are included in a forward line alongside Egyptian football legend and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Osimhen’s inclusion comes as no surprise, following his remarkable year in 2023, where he was crowned the CAF Men’s Player of the Year.
His exceptional goal-scoring abilities and leadership on the field helped propel Napoli to the top of Serie A, earning him recognition as one of the best players in African football.
Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in Italy, earned his place in the prestigious lineup after his performance in the 2023-2024 season.
His consistent displays earned him the accolade of 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the Year in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday night.
Alongside Osimhen and Lookman in the Best Africa XI are some of the continent’s most talented footballers.
Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana, known for his reflexes and leadership at Inter Milan, is part of the squad.
In defense, Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi, Senegalese defender Khalidou Koulibaly, and Congolese center-back Chancel Mbemba.
Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus also earns a spot in the lineup, alongside Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat, Ivory Coast’s Franck Kessie, and Mali’s Yves Bissouma.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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