CAF Awards 2024: How football players react to Ademola Lookman’s triumph

By: Monsurah Olatunji

The football world has erupted in celebration following Ademola Lookman’s crowning as the 2024 African Player of the Year (POTY) at the CAF Awards Gala in Morocco. The Atalanta and Super Eagles star triumphed over stiff competition, including Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Serhou Guirassy, and Ronwen Williams, to claim the prestigious award. His incredible year on and off the pitch has won him widespread admiration, with players from around the globe taking to social media to congratulate him.

Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, who was named the MVP of AFCON 2023, expressed his pride, writing: “Deserved brother! We are all proud of you!” Fellow national team member Moses Simon kept his message short but heartfelt: “Congratulations brother.”

Kelechi Iheanacho shared his excitement with a personal touch, commenting: “Only one Adebobo.” Victor Boniface, another Nigerian forward, congratulated Lookman with a simple yet warm message: “Congrats broksi.”

Super Falcons star Rinsola Babajide joined the celebration, writing enthusiastically: “Asss it should beeee. What a BALRRR.”

Lookman’s achievement resonated far beyond Nigeria. His Atalanta teammates also shared their joy, with Ben Godfrey commenting: “Never in doubt,” while Charles De Ketelaere called him “The Best.”

From international stars, Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk shared his support with a powerful applause emoji. Tottenham’s James Maddison echoed the sentiment with a similar gesture. Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo expressed his admiration, declaring: “My brother! THE BEST player in Africa. Well deserved.”

Other well-wishers included Bayern Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella, who simply wrote: “Congrats broo,” and Dominic Solanke, who affirmed: “Deserved to the fullest.”

Lookman’s remarkable achievement has clearly inspired many, with players from across the footballing world coming together to celebrate his well-earned success.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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