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1 week ago
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Ademola Lookman is in his season of receiving congratulatory messages after he was crowned the new African Footballer of the Year, and he has received one from Victor Osimhen.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in Morocco, announced Lookman as the winner of the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year on Monday evening.
As noted by CAF Online, he beat four other contenders to win the award — Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
Osimhen sends message to Lookman
Lookman’s victory made it back-to-back for Nigeria after succeeding his compatriot Victor Osimhen, who won it in 2023 after his exploits in Napoli’s title-winning season.
The Galatasaray loan forward has now extended a hand of congratulations and best wishes to his international teammate after winning Africa’s biggest individual prize.
“He knows my thoughts towards it, I have spoken to him in person as he was the clear favourite to win it,” he told Oganla Media in a video message.
“I told him to enjoy it with his family because I know how hard it is to get to where he is. It would be a big moment, an overwhelming one for him.
“Being named the African Footballer of the Year shows your hard work and dedication for what you’ve done in the season. He has impressed us, put us on the map and given us bragging rights knowing fully well he’s from Nigeria.”
“He was the clear favourite, I already congratulated him months ago because he really deserves it,” he added.
Both players have decisions to make over their futures in the summer transfer window, even though they won’t be short of suitors next month.
How Osimhen helped Lookman
Legit reported how Osimhen helped Lookman settle into the national team when the English-born attacker switched his international allegiance in 2022.
One of the key things the Atalanta forward said Osimhen helped him with was language, which he spoke to introduce his speech after receiving his award.
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