Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman shortlisted for CAF best player award

Ademola Lookman has been listed among the final five nominees for the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.

The African football governing body announced the top echelon of candidates for the coveted award in a tweet on Monday.

Only Lookman is the Nigerian named among the five finalists. William Troost-Ekong did not make the final cut despite being named in the initial 10-player list.

Other footballers in the top five are Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Ronwen Williams and Serhou Guirassy.

Lookman had an impressive 2023/24 season for both club and country. The winger scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions last season for Atalanta, which retained its status as one of the best in Serie A.

He scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.

Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.

The 27-year-old ranked 14th best player in the world at the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or ceremony — the only African to make the top 30.

Lookman has been tipped to be the next award winner, following the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the prize in 2023.

In the other award categories, Stanley Nwabali was nominated for the goalkeeper of the year prize, while Nigeria will vie for the national team of the year category alongside Ivory Coast, Morocco, South Africa, and six others.