Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman has been crowned 2024 CAF men’s ‘Player of the Year.’
He was announced the winner of the gong at the gala held in Marrakesh, Morocco, today.
The 27-year-old was Nigeria’s key creative force at the Nations Cup, inspiring the Super Eagles’ attacking unit alongside Victor Osimhen, and showcasing his inventiveness as the Super Eagles reached an unexpected final.
Troost-Ekong was named Player of the Tournament, but it was Lookman’s double against Cameroon in the Last 16, and winner against Angola in the quarter that gave Nigeria the momentum to progress.
The AFCON wasn’t the highlight of Lookman’s year, and he compensated for Nigeria’s final defeat with his hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final victory over previously undisputed Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin in May.
It was an unforgettable showing, and surely the highlight of Lookman’s career – which hasn’t always enjoyed a steady upwards trajectory – to date. Thanks to the Nigerian, Atalanta won the first continental title in their history, and a first major honour since 1963, while ending Bayer’s 51-match unbeaten streak in the process.
He became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, and the fastest to register a treble in the fixture, doing so within 26 minutes. In fact, only five players had previously scored hat-tricks in the final of any major UEFA club competition, and never before has an African achieved the feat.
During the rest of the year, for Atalanta, Lookman has maintained a high level of performance while establishing himself as one of Serie A’s most watchable players. The Atalanta Player of the Season made the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.
He’s maintained that form so far this term, registering 12 goals and assists combined in 12 Serie A showings to take Atalanta to first position in the Italian top tier. He’s also flourishing in the Champions League this season, prompting media links to the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Juventus and others.
