Ademola Lookman, on Monday evening, was deservedly named Africa’s Player of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to climax what has been a stellar year for the Nigerian in the colours of both club and country.
We recap five of the top performances Lookman put up in 2024 en route to achieving this honour.
Lookman vs Cameroon (AFCON, January 2024)
After topping their group at the AFCON, the Super Eagles were drawn against rivals Cameroon for the Round of 16 stage.
That encounter was, unsurprisingly, a cagey one, but it was ultimately settled by a relatively comfortable scoreline, 2-0.
Nigeria prevailed, advancing at the expense of their neighbours, and it was Lookman who got both goals, finishing from close range each time — though it helped that Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa made an almighty mess of his attempts to keep the ball out on all two occasions.
Lookman vs Bayer Leverkusen (UEFA Europa League, May 2024)
Someday, the story of Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season would be told, about how they had a nearly perfect season, ruined only by the loss suffered to Atalanta — the only setback in a campaign that saw them avoid defeat in every other game, as they bagged a domestic double — in the Europa League final.
That solitary dent was the handiwork of Lookman, whose hat-trick of brilliant strikes — making him the first man in almost half a century to score thrice in a European final — powered the Italian side past Alonso's hitherto invincible juggernaut, to a comprehensive 3-0 win and glory.
It was a statement display, on a truly unforgettable night, that forced the whole world to sit up and pay attention to the underrated gem and showman Lookman has always been.
Lookman vs Hellas Verona (Serie A, October 2024)
It would be hard for Lookman to ever match his aforementioned Europa League masterclass, but he came pretty close with this two-goal, two-assist display in Atalanta's 6-1 rout of Hellas Verona in Serie A two days before CAF released its list of Player of the Year nominees.
He came just inches short of a hat-trick just after the break, in fact, crashing an effort from way out against the bar.
It was a result that turbo-charged Atalanta's ongoing title push, also providing validation — not that he needed it, anyway — for Lookman's nomination by CAF.
Lookman vs Napoli (Serie A, November 2024)
Napoli recovered from a tough start to life under Antonio Conte this season to win all but one of their next ten games (the exception being a draw with Juventus) and soar to the top of the Serie A table.
A visit by Atalanta, though, was all it took to rock the Partenopei’s boat, with their guests running out three 3-0 winners.
Lookman was the star of that show, contributing two first-half goals that pretty much had the result wrapped up before teammate Mateo Retegui applied an added-time flourish.
Lookman vs Real Madrid (UEFA Champions League, December 2024)
By the time Madrid traveled to Bergamo for their Champions League group-stage duel with Atalanta earlier this month, polls for the CAF Player of the Year award had already closed, but Lookman showed absolutely no signs of slowing down at all.
On a night when Atalanta could hardly get anything past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from open play, Lookman still managed to whip in a deceptive daisy-cutter that squeezed past the Belgian's outstretched arm at his near post.
Madrid ended up winning the game, 3-2, yet Lookman had proven his mettle against some of the best players in the world right now; he trumped Vinicius Jr, Los Blancos’ own red-hot left winger, on key metrics such as shots, dribbles, passes, duels, expected goals and assists.
Lookman may well have even snatched an actual assist, but for Retegui’s rather shocking last-gasp miss.
Still, he had done enough to pick up the Player of the Match award against the European champions.
