Since 2023, Ademola Lookman has no doubt been writing his name in gold as arguably the best African player .
The 27-year old came to limelight in 2022/23 when he came top scorer of Atalanta with 19 goals contributions (13G/6A) in the League when they ended on the fourth position on the table.

The striker in 2023/24 season contributed 11 goals and 7 assists for the Club earning him the Atalanta Player of the Year award and made history as well in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen after he scored a hattrick in their 3-0 win over them.

This wasn’t enough as the striker was also influential in this year’s AFCON tournament for Nigeria.

Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year Award along with his Nigerian counterpart, William Troost Ekong in the 10-man shortlist for the award and is also the only African who had been nominated in the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award ceremony which comes up on Saturday, November 16.
As the award ceremonies draw closer, it is pertinent to look at the Lookman’s chances of winning both awards especially as all eyes are on the him to be the second African player to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award after George Weah in 1995.

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Looking at contributions in both club and country, Lookman has been considered favorite by many pundits to win the CAF Player of the Year award. Lookman has won the Atalanta Player of the Year award for the second time in a row, won the Club’s first ever European trophy in style, scoring a hattrick in the final becoming the first player to do so in a Europa League final since 1975 (including the UEFA Cup) while ending Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten streak.

The striker was also instrumental in Nigeria’s AFCON tournament campaign scoring three goals and giving an assist in the tournament.

This season, he’s been on fire for Atalanta scoring six goals and providing four assists in nine matches for the Italian Club in the League. He also came 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.

From the aforementioned feats, Lookman has an edge over players like Ekong and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, as well as a better chance to clinch the trophy than anyone else on the list.