Ademola Lookman wins CAF African Footballer of the Year

Ademola Lookman was named CAF African Footballer of the Year on Monday at an awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco after a fantastic season with Atalanta and the Nigeria national team.

Zambia’s Barbra Banda won the women’s award after firing the Orlando Pride to the NWSL championship, scoring the winner in the final against the Washington Spirit.

Lookman, 27, scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final to give the Serie A club their first ever European silverware and only the second major trophy in their 117-year history.

The former RB Leipzig, Leicester and Fulham forward also scored three times as Nigeria reached the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were knocked out by Sebastian Haller’s late goal for Ivory Coast in the final.

Lookman scored 17 goals and contributed 10 assists in 45 games across all competitions for Atalanta in the 2023-24 season and has made a similarly prolific start to this campaign, finding the net 11 times in 19 club appearances as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side sits with two points. clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A.

“This award is a blessing, to be recognized as the best player in Africa is something incredible,” Lookman said as he collected the trophy.

“Four years ago my career felt down, but now I’m here as the best player in Africa. Don’t let your failures stop your dreams.”

The other nominees for the gong were from Morocco Achraf HakimiSouth Africa goalkeeper Ronwen WilliamsBorussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassyand Brighton’s Ivorian winger Simon Adingra.

Lookman succeeds another Nigerian Victor Osimhen as winner of the prestigious award which was first officially presented by CAF in 1992.

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez have all claimed the award in recent years. Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure share the record for most wins, each picking up the award four times.

Banda overcame competition from NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga to win the women’s award. The Pride forward was the standout player in the playoffs, scoring in the championship game, the semifinal against Chawinga’s Kansas City Current and a brace in the quarterfinal with the Chicago Red Stars.

Banda adds the accolade to the BBC’s fan-voted Women’s Footballer of the Year, which was announced at the end of November. Her triumph ends Asisat Oshoala’s side on the trophy – Bay FC and the former Barcelona star were crowned winners in five of the last six years.