The 2024 edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards is firmly in the spotlight as discussions and predictions about the potential winners of the prestigious honours begin to surface.

Renowned for celebrating a constellation of Africa’s finest football talents, the CAF Awards consistently dominate headlines across the continent, and this year’s edition, scheduled for December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco, promises to uphold this tradition.

CAF has already unveiled the nominees for each award category, sparking significant interest, particularly in the Men’s Player of the Year award, which has drawn the most attention.

Adding to the excitement, the governing body recently narrowed the shortlist for this coveted prize to a final five contenders.

The final nominees, as announced on CAF's official channels, include Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗠𝗲𝗻) - 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/0MGgFEJ3d8

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 18, 2024

While several past winners and African football stakeholders have loosely tipped Lookman as a strong candidate for the prestigious prize, it’s worth noting that their endorsements have no bearing on the official voting process.

Amid the swirling debates about favourites, we take a closer look at how the winners of the CAF Awards are determined.

How CAF selects the POTY winners

According to CAF Online, the winners of each award category are determined through votes from a diverse panel.

This includes the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, the head coaches and captains of Member Associations, and representatives from clubs participating in the group stages of CAF Interclub competitions.

Quick feet and composure from Ademola Lookman 🎯#AtalantaFiorentina pic.twitter.com/peFJa29ORh

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) September 16, 2024

These esteemed individuals and bodies collaborate to help CAF identify and honour the most deserving winners in each category.

In the 2023 edition, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala claimed the prestigious Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards, respectively.

However, the 2024 edition will see new champions crowned, as neither Osimhen nor Oshoala made the final shortlist this time around.