In a momentous achievement, Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has been named the 2024 African Men’s Player of the Year at a ceremony in Marrakesh. Lookman, who plays for Serie A leaders Atalanta, succeeds his compatriot Victor Osimhen, who won the award last year.
Lookman’s stellar performances for both Nigeria and Atalanta have earned him this prestigious accolade. His three goals were instrumental in Nigeria reaching the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they narrowly lost to hosts Ivory Coast. Notably, Lookman scored both goals in Nigeria’s last-16 victory over Cameroon and the decisive goal in their quarter-final win against Angola.
In addition to his national team success, Lookman also shone at the club level. He scored a hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final in Dublin, further cementing his status as one of Africa’s top football talents.
Lookman’s achievement is a testament to his hard work and dedication. In his acceptance speech, he encouraged the youth of Africa to “never give up” and to “turn pain into power.”
The runners-up for the award included South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who also won the best goalkeeper and best club player awards, Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi, Ivory Coast winger Simon Adingra, and Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy.
