By Abiola Olawale
Super Eagles winger and Atalanta star Ademola Lookman has been named the African Best Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
Lookman, the 27-year-old winger, was announced the winner at an award event, which was held in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Monday.
The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
The New Diplomat reports that Lookman’s exceptional performances for both Atalanta and the Nigerian national team earned him this prestigious accolade and laurel.
Lookman’s contributions included being instrumental in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League victory where he scored a historic hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen, making him the first African to achieve this feat in a major UEFA competition final.
Additionally, he played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s campaign during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring crucial goals. His season stats include 17 goals and 10 assists for Atalanta.
