Ademola Lookman’s outstanding performances for Atalanta and the Nigerian national team have garnered significant backing for the CAF Player of the Year award.
This support has been notably echoed by Patrick Pascal, Nigeria’s national team coordinator and former Royal Antwerp star.
Lookman played a key role for the Super Eagles during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), helping guide the team to the final under the management of Jose Peseiro, where he contributed three goals and an assist. His club contributions have been equally impressive, highlighted by a stunning hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, which marked Atalanta’s first-ever European title.
With 33 goal involvements across all competitions in the 2023/2024 season, Lookman’s consistency and playmaking prowess have been on full display for both club and country.
Pascal, who chairs the Bauchi State Football Association, expressed his unwavering confidence in Lookman’s candidacy, stating during an interview with Brila FM, “If Ademola Lookman doesn’t win this CAF award, journalists will finish CAF. The whole world will finish them. What are you going to tell people? So Ademola Lookman stands a good chance to win.”
Despite Lookman’s remarkable achievements, support for him varies across Africa. In the recent Ballon d’Or voting, one Nigerian journalist selected him as their top choice, while he received fifth-place recognition in Côte d’Ivoire. Conversely, several North African nations, including Algeria and Tunisia, did not include him in their top 10, highlighting regional disparities that may impact the CAF voting dynamics. As anticipation builds for the CAF Awards on December 16 in Marrakesh, Lookman’s impressive tally of 33 goal contributions for the 2023/24 season positions him as a strong contender for the prestigious accolade.
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