BREAKING: 7 Key Points From NFF’s Statement on Why Lookman Deserves CAF Player of the Year Award

The Nigeria Football Federation is rooting for Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman to be crowned CAF Player of the Year 2024.

In a statement released 24 hours before the CAF Awards Ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, the NFF reiterated that ‘Lookman is the man’.

Former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze had raised the alarm, saying his ‘source’ claimed that Achraf Hakimi is the leading contender for the award.

Serhou Guirassy, Simon Adingra, and Ronwen Williams are other players on the five-man shortlist for the prestigious award this year.

However, the NFF stated that none of the other nominees matched Lookman’s achievements for the year.

Below are 7 key points from NFF’s statement

1. AFCON Contributions:

Ademola Lookman was pivotal in Nigeria’s journey during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Final in Cote d’Ivoire, contributing 3 goals and 2 assists.

2. UEFA Europa League Heroics:

He scored a hat-trick to lead Atalanta FC to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, securing the UEFA Europa Cup title in May.

3. Exceptional Club Form:

The 27-year-old forward has recorded 11 goals and 5 assists in 18 appearances for Atalanta this season, including a crucial goal against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

4. AFCON Qualification Impact:

Lookman scored 2 key goals during Nigeria’s AFCON qualification campaign, with 2 additional goals controversially disallowed.

5. Comparison to Rivals:

None of the other nominees, including Simon Adingra of Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, or Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, matches Lookman’s achievements this year.

6 Historic Opportunity for Nigeria:

A win for Lookman would make Nigeria the stand-alone second-most successful country in CAF Player of the Year wins (7 titles), surpassing Cote d’Ivoire and just behind Cameroon.

7. Legacy Continuation:

If victorious, Lookman would succeed fellow Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, ensuring Nigeria retains the prestigious title for a consecutive year.

Hakimi speaks on winning CAF POTY

Legit.ng earlier reported that Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi has expressed his desire to be crowned African Player of the Year.

He disclosed that being nominated means that CAF recognises all the hard work he has put in.

The Paris Saint-Germain defender addressed the media, sharing his thoughts on possibly clinching the award.