By Wale Mustapha
Cameroon and Osasuna defender Flavien Boyomo has backed Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman as the favorite to win the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.
Lookman, a standout for both Nigeria and his club Atalanta, is among the nominees for the 2024 award, alongside Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, Senegal’s Serhou Guirassy, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.
Although Lookman’s Super Eagles teammate, Victor Osimhen, claimed the 2023 award, he was not nominated this year, leaving Lookman as a strong contender for the honor.
The 27-year-old enjoyed an outstanding run during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where he netted three goals and provided one assist in seven matches, helping Nigeria secure a respectable finish. Lookman also made history with a memorable hat-trick in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League final victory.
Boyomo, impressed by Lookman’s performances, is confident that the Nigerian winger is the frontrunner for the award. “I believe Lookman will win the African Ballon d’Or. He won the Europa League and he is the one who has the best chance of winning the trophy this year,” Boyomo was quoted as saying by Actu Cameroon.
With his stellar club and international performances over the past year, Lookman is certainly a player to watch as the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award approaches.
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.
