Super Eagles’ Ademola Lookman has been crowned the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year.
The Atalanta of Italy player, who personally received the award in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night, described it something as “incredible” which he is “extremely proud of.
The prize is a recognition of Lookman’s outstanding exploits for the Super Eagles and his club side Atalanta.
Reminiscing on his past struggles as a footballer, the 27-year-old advised young people never to allow their past failures define their future.
Lookman edged out tough competition from Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast/Brighton), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns) to claim the prestigious title. His win adds his name to the illustrious list of Nigerian footballers who have won the award such as Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997), and Victor Osimhen (2023).