Ivory Coast forward Sébastien Haller has expressed his support for Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman in the race for the prestigious CAF Player of the Year award.
The 2024 CAF Awards are scheduled to be held at the prestigious Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday, December 16. Lookman, alongside four other standout players, will vie for the award, aiming to dethrone the current holder, Victor Osimhen.
Despite Lookman’s standout performances for club and country, Haller acknowledged the tough competition posed by Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and his Ivorian compatriot Simon Adingra, making the decision a challenging one for voters.
Haller weighs in on CAF POTY race, backing Lookman amid strong contenders
Speaking in an interview with Sporty TV, Haller threw his weight behind Lookman while acknowledging the strong competition from other nominees.
“I don't know how they are going to vote, I don't know how they are going to decide,” he said.
“There are many aspects that make this decision difficult because some of them like Guirassy scored a lot of goals with his European club. Unfortunately, with his country, it was a bit more tough.
“Lookman had a good season with the club, great season. Also in the AFCON, he had a great tournament.
“You have Adingra as well. Of course, if I have to choose someone, it will be him. I will be more than happy for him. I spent some time with him during the AFCON because we were both injured when we arrived.
“He has a good season with the club, maybe less brilliant than the two others, but he delivered when he came on in the AFCON and went back with the title. It will be tough.
“Let's see what they think and what is the most important for them. I will follow it and hopefully, an Ivorian guy will get the trophy.”
Although Lookman is widely regarded as a strong contender for the prestigious award, the other four shortlisted nominees also present compelling cases for the title.
