As the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award slowly approaches, debates on who will win the men’s category have surfaced on social media.
With that in mind, we have compiled five reasons why Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman is guaranteed to win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year 2024 award.
Following the impressive form of Victor Osimhen in 2023, the Nigerian international became the fifth Nigerian footballer ever to clinch the award and the first in the 20s era to ever do so.
It is safe to say that Nigeria is returning to being the dominant force in African football as another Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman is perfectly poised to clinch the award making it back-to-back wins for Nigeria.
Questions as to what qualification Ademola Lookman possesses to win such an award have been asked and given his impressive run in the Serie A and also at AFCON 2023, it is safe to say that the winger is definitely not far from winning the award.
Can Ademola Lookman win the African Footballer of the Year 2024?
As things stand, Ademola Lookman is in the best position to be crowned the African Footballer of the Year 2024. The major prerequisites to clinch the award have been ticked by the Nigerian international at both club and national level.
Ademola Lookman’s individual stats
Ademola Lookman’s individual stats as a footballer for Atlanta in the 2023/2024 series A and Europa League season were exceptional and the Nigerian international has also carried the form into the 2024/2025 season at the club.
The winger has been exceptional and is not shy of creating chances and also converting them himself.
One performance that would not be forgotten for days or years to come would be his trailblazing performance at the UEFA 2023/2024 Europa League final fixture Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen where he became the first African footballer in the history of any UEFA competition to score a hattrick in the finals.
Ademola Lookman’s Serie A stats (2023/2024)
- Matches Played: 31
- Goals Scored: 11
- Assists: 7
- Shots on Target: 25
- Yellow Cards: 4
- Red Cards: 0
Ademola Lookman’s UEFA Europa League stats (2023/2024)
- Matches Played: 11
- Goals Scored: 5
- Assists: 1
- Shots on Target: 9
- Yellow Cards: 2
- Red Cards: 0
Lookman’s Ballon d’Or 2024 nomination
Ademola Lookman became the only African player to be shortlisted in the final 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2024 Men’s Player of the Year award. This is a huge booster for his quest for the African Footballer of the Year 2024, as him being the only player with a nod in the men’s category recognizes his exceptional abilities in the 2023/2024 season. It remains to be seen if he would make the final top 10 shortlist at the award ceremony but Lookman seems to be focused now on working hard in the 2024/2025 season.
Ademola Lookman at AFCON 2023
Ademola Lookman was a game-changer for Nigeria at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. It is safe to say he played a huge role in Nigeria’s progression to the finals of the tournament against all odds.
AFCON performance of both the player and his country would also be a huge decider in determining the winner of the African Footballer of the Year and as of the moment, the Atalanta forward ticks the two boxes with ease.
Ademola Lookman delivered an impressive performance during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the following key stats:
- Goals Scored: 3
- Netted twice in the Round of 16 against Cameroon.
- Scored the decisive goal in the quarter-final clash with Angola.
- Assists: 1
- Matches Played: 4
- Man of the Match Awards: 1 (in the match against Cameroon)
- Big Chances Created: 2
- Chances Created: 7
- Key Passes: 6
Importance in both the national team and at club level
The importance of a player at both national and club level would also play a huge role in selecting the African Footballer of the Year in the Men’s category.
The importance of a player in any team can be determined by the number of appearances such a player makes for his side and how much of a game-changer he is in such a team.
Over time Ademola Lookman has exerted his dominance in both the national and the club level making it almost impossible for both teams to function effectively in his noticeable absence.
Whenever Lookman is on the field of player there is always an extra spring in the gameplay of both Nigeria and Atalanta as he can be found opening spaces and creating chances during an attack.
Ademola Lookman titles won
Recognizing football as a team sport is also important which is why aside from what you have achieved as an individual on the field of play, what your team has achieved also plays a huge role in determining the winner of the Footballer of the Year award.
With Ademola Lookman’s side Atalanta picking up the UEFA Europa League title in the 2023/2024 club football season with him being a major contributor in guaranteeing his side the title in the finals, the scales of the African Footballer of the Year 2024 have officially tipped in his favour.
These five key reasons could tip the scales in favour of Ademola Lookman for the highly coveted African Footballer of the Year awards 2024.
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