Ademola Lookman has been crowned African Footballer of the Year for the first time, becoming the seventh Nigerian to win the prestigious award. The Atalanta forward claimed the honour ahead of contenders Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea), and Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) at the ceremony in Marrakesh.
Lookman had a remarkable year, contributing 17 goals and 10 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Atalanta. His standout moment came in the Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick to secure a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, delivering Atalanta their first-ever European title. Lookman became only the second player to score a treble in a major European final for an Italian club, after Pierino Prati for Milan in 1969.
Continuing his impressive form, Lookman has been crucial to Atalanta’s current Serie A campaign, with 12 goal involvements this season, ranking third in the league. His decisive winner against AC Milan earlier this month helped Atalanta set a new club record for consecutive wins.
On the international stage, Lookman shone at the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals as Nigeria finished runners-up. His efforts earned him a place in the tournament’s Team of the Year. Additionally, he was the only African player on the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist, finishing 14th.
In the women’s category, Barbra Banda of Orlando Pride made history as the first Zambian to win the award, ahead of Morocco’s Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie.
