MARRAKECH, Morocco, Dec 16 – Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has been named African Footballer of the Year at the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) awards ceremony on Monday. The 27-year-old forward was recognized after an outstanding season with Atalanta in Italy and the Nigerian national team.
Lookman was instrumental in Atalanta’s Europa League victory over Bayer Leverkusen in May, where he scored a hat-trick in the final. Earlier, he helped Nigeria reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, scoring three goals during the tournament in Ivory Coast.
The London-born player, who previously played in the English Premier League for Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City, joined Atalanta in 2022. He finished the 2023 season with 17 goals for the Serie A club and has already netted 11 goals this campaign.
Reflecting on his achievement, Lookman shared his gratitude, saying, “This award is a blessing. To be recognized as the best player in Africa is something incredible. Four years ago, my career felt down, but now I’m here as the best player in Africa. Don’t let your failures stop your dreams.”
Lookman triumphed over Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Côte d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams in the voting. The award is decided by a panel that includes national team coaches and captains, though voting details were not immediately made public.
Lookman follows in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, last year’s winner, and becomes the seventh Nigerian player to win the coveted title. Other past Nigerian winners include Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, and Rashidi Yekini.
Zambia’s Barbra Banda was also recognized as African Women’s Player of the Year for her pivotal role in leading Orlando Pride to their first NWSL Championship.
