Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman was named African Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) during its awards ceremony on Monday, following an outstanding season for both club and country.
The 27-year-old delivered a remarkable performance for his Italian club, Atalanta, scoring a hat-trick in their Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin this May. Earlier in the year, Lookman played a key role in Nigeria’s journey to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Ivory Coast, where he netted three goals.
Born in London, Lookman previously played in the English Premier League for Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City. He joined Atalanta in 2022 and impressed with 17 goals last season, already scoring 11 goals in the current campaign.
Speaking about the award, Lookman described it as “a blessing,” stating: “To be recognised as the best player in Africa is something incredible. 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.”
Lookman was chosen ahead of Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, and South Africa’s goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. The award is decided by a voting panel consisting of national team coaches and captains, though voting details were not immediately disclosed.
Lookman becomes the seventh Nigerian to win the accolade, succeeding last year’s winner Victor Osimhen. Previous Nigerian recipients include Nwankwo Kanu (who won twice), Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, and Rashidi Yekini.
In the women’s category, Zambia’s Barbra Banda was named African Women’s Player of the Year. The 24-year-old played a decisive role in Orlando Pride’s first-ever NWSL Championship title, scoring the winning goal against Kansas City after her team topped the regular season standings.
Banda’s achievement is particularly notable given that she was excluded from Zambia’s squad for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations due to gender eligibility concerns. However, she was cleared by FIFA to compete at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and represented Zambia at this year’s Paris Olympics.
