Ademola Lookman‘s exceptional performances for both club and country have catapulted him into the spotlight as a leading contender for the prestigious CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
The Atalanta forward has enjoyed a stellar season, netting 17 goals and providing 10 assists in 45 matches across all competitions. His standout moment came in the Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick to lead Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Lookman’s impact extended to the international stage as well, playing a key role in Nigeria’s impressive run to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they narrowly missed out on the title against hosts Ivory Coast.
Speaking to Foot Africa, former Cameroon junior national team coach Francois Ngoumou highlighted Lookman’s consistency and impact.
“He was brilliant at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria. His performances with Atalanta were very interesting. Over the last twelve months, I think Lookman has been more consistent. He has shone at the highest level.”
Lookman faces stiff competition from other African stars, Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire / Brighton & Hove Albion), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea / Borussia Dortmund), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain) and Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
The CAF awards ceremony will be held on Monday, 16 December, in Marrakech, Morocco.