Ademola Lookman has been crowned the CAF African Footballer of the Year in a big ceremony held in Marrakech, Morocco. He’s had an amazing year, scoring a hat trick in the Europa League final to give Atalanta their first-ever European trophy – a huge moment for the club.
For Nigeria, he was just as brilliant, scoring three goals during the Africa Cup of Nations and helping the team reach the final, even though they lost to Ivory Coast.
At club level, Lookman had a standout season last year, with 17 goals and 10 assists in 45 games. This season, he’s kept that momentum going, scoring 11 goals in 19 matches and helping Atalanta stay top of Serie A.
When he picked up the award, he said, “This award is a blessing, to be recognised as 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.”
Other nominees included Achraf Hakimi, Ronwen Williams, Serhou Guirassy, and Simon Adingra. On the women’s side, Barbra Banda from Zambia won the African Women’s Footballer of the Year after leading Orlando Pride to the NWSL Championship with a decisive goal in the final.
