Snubbed: big names missing from 2024 CAF award nominations
By Biwah Bryan
The 2024 CAF Awards nominations have sparked controversy, with several high-profile names conspicuously absent from the list, raising questions about the selection criteria and oversight of prominent contenders like Salah, Kudus, Boniface, Mokwena and others
Coaching oversights
Rulani Mokwena, Mamelodi Sundowns’ mastermind, is a glaring absentee in the Best Coach category. His last season resume includes winning the South African League, African Football League, reaching the Champions League semis, Club World Cup final, and making it to two cup finals. Similarly, Jose Peseiro, who led Nigeria’s Super Eagles to the AFCON final and bagged the silver medal deserves acknowledgement.
Star players snubbed
Mohamed Salah’s omission from the nominations has left many bewildered given his exceptional form over the years.
For the first time in seven years, Mohamed Salah misses out on the “CAF player of the Year “nominations, despite scoring 18 goals, 10 assists in the Premier League last season with over 50 goal contributions across all competitions.
Salah played at the AFCON 2023 and scored 1 goal with 2 assists. He equally has 2 goals in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers.
Another absentee is Mohamed Kudus, Ghana’s talented midfielder. His 14 Premier League goal contributions and 30+ across all competitions, coupled with impressive AFCON performances, warrant recognition. He played 2 games at the AFCON, scored 2 goals and won 2 man of the match awards.
Morocco’s Brahim Diaz, a La Liga, Champions League, and UEFA Supercup winner with Real Madrid, was also overlooked. His 2 goals in 2 AFCON qualifier games demonstrate his impact.
Other Notable Omissions include Victor Boniface, Nigeria’s Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal winner but unfortunately didn’t play the AFCON due to injury and only scored 1 goal for the super Eagles
Similarly, Pierre Aubameyang missed the nomination, he finished top scorer in the Europa League and netted 17 goals and 8 assists in the French league. He wasn’t fortunate to play the AFCON because Gabon didn’t qualify but he has scored in his last 4 games for Gabon
These snubs raise questions about the CAF Awards nomination process. Is it solely based on team performance, or individual achievements? Do continental competitions carry more weight than domestic success?
