A former Nigerian international disclosed that he knew Ademola Lookman would be crowned the African Footballer of the Year after winning the award on Monday night.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the Super Eagles star as the winner during the CAF Awards ceremony at Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lookman’s triumph came off the back of a brilliant season for Italian Serie A club Atalanta and his performances at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria.
Ex-Nigerian star speaks on CAF POTY
Former Nigerian national team player Chikelue Iloenyosi has described the moment he knew Lookman was on his way to becoming the African Footballer of the Year.
“To score a hat-trick in a cup final like the UEFA Europa League is no small feat,” he said, as quoted by Complete Sports. “Such moments are rare, and when he did that, I knew he was on the path to being crowned Africa’s Best for the year.
“This achievement will undoubtedly inspire him during the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.”
His hat trick in the Europa League final in Dublin condemned Bayer Leverkusen to their only defeat of the season and denied them of winning all possible trophies.
According to uefa.com, it was the first time a player had scored a hat trick in the final of the competition since it changed its name from the UEFA Cup to the Europa League in 2001.
The English-born attacker became the third Nigerian to score in the final after Alex Iwobi for Arsenal in 2019 and Joe Aribo for Rangers in 2022, in losing attempts to Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Lookman’s market value surges
Legit reported that Lookman’s market value surged days after he was crowned the African Footballer of the Year at Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco.
His market value on the stats website Transfermarkt increased by €15 million to €55mil, making him enter the top 10 in the Serie A and number three in Africa.
