From seemingly out of nowhere, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has emerged as the leading candidate for the 2024 African Best Player of the Year Award. His outstanding performance in Wednesday night’s UEFA Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick to break Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak, has catapulted him into the spotlight.
Born in England, Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman has had a diverse club career, playing for Charlton Athletic, Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham, and Leicester City. In 2022, he joined Atalanta on a four-year contract for a reported fee of €15 million.
Since joining the Italian club, the Nigerian has been impressive, with the 2023/24 season standing out as one of the best in his football career. In the Italian league, Lookman has scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists in 29 appearances. He also contributed a goal and an assist in the Coppa Italia, and added 5 goals and 1 assist in this season’s UEFA Europa League, ultimately capping off his achievements by winning the Europa League trophy with his club.
After representing England at youth level, Lookman received approval from FIFA on February 10, 2022, to play for the Nigerian national team. He was included in the Nigeria squad for the 2024 African Cup of Nations, where he helped secure a bronze medal.
This achievement has placed Ademola Lookman among the top contenders for the African Best Player of the Year Award, alongside Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen, Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United, Ronwen Williams of Mamelodi Sundowns, Odilon Kossounou of Bayer Leverkusen, and Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiakos, among others.
Below are the records set by Ademola Lookman that could secure him a spot in the CAF Player of the Year Award contention:
1. The first player to score a hat-trick in Europa League final.
2. First to score a hat-trick for Atalanta in a European final.
3. First Nigerian to score a hat-trick in Europa League final.
4. First African to score a hat-trick in the Europa League final.
The Nigerian has become the second player to score a hat-trick in the final of a major European competition for an Italian club, following Pierino Prati’s achievement for Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup.
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Story by: David Kwaku Dzaku| univers.ug.edu.gh
