Again, Ademola Lookman showed why he deserves to be named the CAF Player of the Year for 2024 with yet another five-star individual performance, this time for the Super Eagles.
He could not have hoped for a better week after he was deservedly named as one of 30 nominees for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Thursday.
He is only the eighth Nigerian to be so recognized.
In May, he fired a historic hat-trick for his Italian club Atalanta BC to win their first-ever major honour in Europe – the UEFA Europa League.
A few months earlier, he finished as joint-leading scorer for the Super Eagles as they went all the way to 2023 AFCON final against most expectations and he was selected in the tournament Best XI.
It was his AFCON debut, but he delivered like an old pro to fully establish himself in the national team after his change of international allegiance from England.
Before then, his displays for the Super Eagles were tentative and did not do his talent much justice.
On Saturday in the little southern town of Uyo, ‘Mola’ further cemented his place in Super Eagles history by grabbing a brace to sink the Cheetahs from Benin, who in June shocked their more illustrious opponents by inflicting a 2-1 defeat in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The true significance of his goals and the home win would only be appreciated against the background of the turmoil that engulfed the team after they had reached the AFCON final in February.
The mastermind of the 2023 AFCON achievement, the Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro, quit his position when his contract ran out in March.
A new coach, Finidi George, was appointed in May and after the team were held to a 1-1 draw by South Africa at home and fell to Benin, he too quit the post.
The search for a new coach for the country’s team appeared to have finally ended about two weeks to the Benin rematch only for appointed German coach Bruno Labbadia to also throw in the towel after he could not agree terms with the NFF.
This latest drama meant coach Augustine Eguavoen was again called to duty in a temporary capacity.
There is also the fact that the three-time African champions had not won in their last three matches and so were under immense pressure to get firing again.
As Eguavoen himself admitted before the rematch against Benin, only a win would ease the pressure on the team.
Ademola Lookman has now helped the Super Eagles to navigate this corner in style and so doing enhanced his claim to be the next African Player of the Year.
He will deserve this recognition because of what he has achieved for club and country.
And above all, he will be the ideal role model mothers would wish their sons look up to.
The 1997 African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba said: “He just gets on with the job. He’s one player I will not hesitate to recommend to millions of young players, who wish to make a career in football.”
“He has a great attitude,” added another former international Duke Udi.
“No scandals, no drama around him. He just gets on with the job.”
