The battle for the best men’s goalkeeper on the African soil is expected to be a tough one to call as Nigerian shot-stopper Stanley Nwabali will have to contend with seven other goalies, including Andre Onana and Ronwen Williams.
Nwabali was one of the Super Eagles’ surprise packages at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Chippa United goalkeeper kept four clean sheets in seven games and his penalty shoot-out heroics in the semifinals against South Africa sent the team into the final.
Meanwhile, Onana, who endured a tumultuous first season at Manchester United, has since returned to his best form for the Premier League club, as well as keeping three clean sheets in his last six matches for Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions.
Williams, on the other hand, was named the best goalkeeper at AFCON 2023, where he finished with four clean sheets and helped South Africa’s Bafana Bafana clinch a bronze medal with his outstanding penalty-saving ability, which was on display in both the quarterfinals and third-place match against Cape Verde and DR Congo, respectively.
Other nominees for the award include: Ivory Coast AFCON-winning goalie Yahia Fofana; Lionel Mpasi (DR Congo); Oussamar Benbot (Algeria); Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt); Djigui Diarra (Mali); Munir El Kajoui (Morocco); and Amanallah Memmiche (Tunisia).
𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗠𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/ilO3LKr747
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 24, 2024
The winner of this category will be announced at the 2024 CAF Awards on December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Full list of nominees for CAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year
Stanley Nwabali
Andre Onana
Ronwen Williams
Yahia Fofana
Lionel Mpasi
Oussamar Benbot
Mostafa Shobeir
Djigui Diarra
Munir El Kajoui
Amanallah Memmiche
