The Nigerian quartet of ADEMOLA LOOKMAN, WILLIAM TROOST-EKONG, ASISAT OSHOALA, and PAUL ONUACHU has been shortlisted in various categories of the FIFA Best Awards for 2024.

A list released yesterday by the World Football governing body shows that LOOKMAN, who plays for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A, was nominated in the Best Attacker category. He will battle it out with the impressive VINICIUS JUNIOR, LAMINE YAMAL, BUKAYO SAKA, ERLING HAALAND, LIONEL MESSI, and CRISTIANO RONALDO among other high-profile players.

Nigeria’s stand-in captain TROOST-EKONG was named in the Best Defender category alongside Arsenal’s WILLIAM SALIBA, MANUEL AKANJI, ANTONIO RÜDIGER, DANI CARVAJAL, and others.

OSHOALA, who has won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year crown for a record number of times, was listed in the newly-introduced Marta Award. The prize is for the best goal in women’s football.

Her compatriot and Southampton forward ONUACHU earned a place for the male version – the Puskas. His deft flick in Trabzonspor’s 2-1 win over Konyaspor on November 10, 2023, was enough to put him in contention for the best goal gong in men’s football.