Ademola Lookman was named the CAF African Footballer of the Year on Monday at an awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco after a stellar season with Atalanta and the Nigeria national team.
Zambia’s Barbra Banda won the women’s prize after firing the Orlando Pride to the NWSL Championship, scoring the winner in the final against Washington Spirit.
Lookman, 27, scored a hat trick in the Europa League final to earn the Serie A club their first-ever European silverware, and only the second major trophy in their 117-year history.
The former RB Leipzig, Leicester and Fulham forward also scored three times as Nigeria reached the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were edged out by Sebastian Haller’s late goal for the Ivory Coast in the final.
Lookman scored 17 goals and contributed 10 assists in 45 games across all competitions for Atalanta in the 2023-24 season and has made a similarly productive start to this campaign, finding the net 11 times in 19 club games as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team sit two points clear of Napoli at the summit of Serie A.
“This award is a blessing, to be recognised as best player in Africa is something incredible,” Lookman said as he picked up the trophy.
“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.”
The other nominees for the gong were Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Borussia Dortmund forward Serhou Guirassy, and Brighton’s Ivorian winger Simon Adingra.
Lookman succeeds fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen as the winner of the prestigious award, which was first handed out officially by CAF in 1992.
Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez have all claimed the prize in recent years. Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure share the record for the most wins, each picking up the award four times.
Banda overcame competition from NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga to win the women’s award. The Pride forward was the standout player of the playoffs, scoring in the championship game, the semifinal against Chawinga’s Kansas City Current and a brace in the quarterfinal clash with the Chicago Red Stars.
Banda adds the accolade to the BBC’s fan-voted Women’s Footballer of the Year, which was announced in late November. Her triumph ends Asisat Oshoala’s hold on the trophy — the Bay FC and former Barcelona star was named winner in five of the last six years. (ESPN)
