Ademola Lookman wins 2024 CAF player of the year award
Ademola Lookman has win the 2024 African Footballer of the year award in a historic event that confirms his status as one of the best players in the world in the current calendar year.
The Super Eagles forward outperformed a talented field, which included South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Côte d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy to win the prestigious award.
His win means the award remains in Nigeria after teammate Victor Osimhen won it last year.
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Receiving the award in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night, the 27-year-old player expressed his immense pride, calling the moment “incredible” which he is extremely proud of.
Reflecting on his journey and the challenges he has faced as a footballer, Lookman encouraged young athletes to not let past setbacks dictate their future, inspiring them to persevere.
“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world, fast forward to four years I am the best player in Africa,” Lookman recalled.
“I want to say to the young children and young people watching this ‘don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight and continue to fly’, God bless!”
The prize is a recognition of Lookman’s outstanding exploits for the Super Eagles and his club side Atalanta. He was in scintillating form as Nigeria reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast this year, scoring some vital goals in the process.
Atalanta won its first European trophy in the club’s 104 years of existence in May thanks to Lookman’s ingenuity.
The Nigerian scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to hand the coveted trophy to his club.
His performance in the Europa League final is arguably the one of the best individual performances in a European final.
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