In less than 10 days, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will announce the new African Player of the Year, and one of the leading contenders, Ademola Lookman, has openly expressed his desire to clinch the prestigious title.
Lookman aims to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Victor Osimhen, the reigning holder of the award.
Osimhen’s victory last year broke a nearly 24-year drought for Nigerian players.
The last time a Nigerian won the award before 2023’s feat was in 1999, when Nwankwo Kanu was crowned Africa’s best. Osimhen was only a toddler, barely aware of the sport he would eventually come to dominate.
Now, Nigeria could be on the cusp of a historic back-to-back triumph. This feat has not been achieved since Emmanuel Amuneke succeeded Rashidi Yekini in 1994, almost three decades ago.
Lookman, named Man of the Match in Atalanta’s victory over Milan on Friday night, is widely regarded as the favourite for the CAF award.
“It’s an honour to be nominated for this prestigious award. Of course, anyone who is nominated would like to win it. It’s a dream!” Lookman told Sky Sports Italy.
While pursuing the dream of becoming Africa’s best, the Nigeria international remains focused on a stellar season with Atalanta.
Atalanta are in sensational form, having notched their ninth consecutive Serie A victory against AC Milan on Friday. Their 2-1 win temporarily placed them at the top of the table, with Napoli’s match against Lazio on Sunday determining whether they will ultimately stay there.
In Friday’s game, Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring with a header at the back post, while Lookman sealed the win with a late goal, capitalizing on another well-executed set piece.
His strike came after Alvaro Morata had briefly equalised for Milan.
Speaking after the match, Lookman reflected on the importance of the win.
“It’s a very important game against a very strong team that is doing well in the league. We performed well tonight (Friday), three big points, and we continue like this,” he said.
Lookman emphasised the importance of consistency and teamwork:
“I think we just continue to play the way we play, match by match. We believe in ourselves as a team, so we continue like this and stay together.”
Atalanta’s goalkeeper, Marco Carnesecchi, who stood alongside Lookman during the post-match interview, highlighted the team’s growing maturity.
“It’s a fantastic performance, a very tight game that was decided by incidents. We did very well to steer the match against Roma our way, and we did the same this evening. That is very important game management in a season that is so long,” Carnesecchi said.
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