Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman has expressed delight with his nomination for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year Award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and insisted that it is a call to do more in his career.
On October 24, Lookman was shortlisted among 10 players for the biggest individual prize in African football.
He scored a brace and registered two assists on Saturday night in Atalanta’s 6-1 thrashing of Hellas Verona in the Serie A. The outstanding performance marked a turnaround in what appeared to be a recent dip in form, in which he only registered one assist in last four matches before the weekend.
Speaking with DAZN according to Tuttomecartoweb after the game, the 27-year-old feels satisfied to have been recognised by CAF when asked if he is confident of winning it.
“I feel proud and I have to keep working, only then can these awards come. Being nominated for this award is special because it concerns my country,” he said.
The Nigeria international is the only African shortlisted for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award which holds on Monday in Paris, France.
“The nomination for the Ballon d’Or is something special for me and for the club, it’s a great moment. I’m very happy, last season’s successes were great and we need to continue like this,” he stated.
Last Thursday, Lookman was also nominated for the 2024 International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Men’s World Best Player.
The former England youth international who switched his allegiance to Nigeria in 2022, had an incredible campiagn last season. He scored 17 goals, including a hat-trick in the final of the 2024 Europa League to guide Atalanta to their first-ever European title.
Earlier in the year, Lookman played an important role as Nigeria reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals and bagged one assist in seven games. The former RB Leipzig player was listed by CAF in the tournament’s best eleven.
