“He’s very humble” — Ademola Lookman’s dad on Winning CAF Awards 2024

By: Monsurah Olatunji

It was a proud moment for Ademola Lookman’s father when his son was crowned CAF Player of the Year at the 2024 awards gala in Morocco on Monday night.

The 27-year-old Atalanta star had a remarkable season, playing a pivotal role in both his club’s and Nigeria’s success, which earned him the prestigious accolade.

Lookman’s father could hardly contain his joy and took the opportunity to express how proud he was of his son in an interview following the award ceremony. Reflecting on his son’s rise to prominence, Lookman’s father highlighted his humility and commitment to the game as key factors behind his success.

“I’m so proud of him because he’s a very committed player,” Lookman’s father shared with Calister Ojonugwa. “He’s very humble, and he doesn’t like too much publicity because he really wants to focus on his football, and that is what has taken him to this place now. So I am so much proud of him as a father.”

Lookman had a standout year, helping Nigeria reach the AFCON 2023 final and contributing to Atalanta’s historic UEFA Europa League triumph, where he scored a hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen. His success on both the club and international fronts also earned him 14th place in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

In addition to his heartfelt praise for his son, Lookman’s father thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support, urging the younger generation to remain focused on their dreams.

“I want to thank everybody for their prayers, for their support, for their comments,” he said. “I also want to thank the Almighty God. I also want to tell the younger ones who are coming up to please focus on their things and their dreams, and they will get there.”

As the reigning African Player of the Year, Lookman is now focused on continuing his impressive form, having already scored eight goals and provided four assists this season.

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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