Cameroon star predicts Lookman as next CAF player of the year

As anticipation builds for the 2024 CAF Africa Player of the Year Award, Cameroon international Flavien Enzo Boyomo has expressed confidence that Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman is the frontrunner for the prestigious honor, News360 Nigeria reports .  

Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A, has garnered widespread support following his historic performance last season.

He became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European club competition final, leading his team to victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

His remarkable achievements have earned him backing from teammates, stakeholders, and fans as he stands out on CAF’s final shortlist for the award.

Boyomo is the latest football figure to endorse Lookman, believing the Nigerian deserves to take home the title at the CAF Awards, set to be held on December 16, 2024.

Lookman’s competitors for the men’s best player award include Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Algeria’s Amine Gouiri, Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, each with impressive performances of their own.

However, Lookman’s record-breaking feats and influential role for both club and country position him as a strong favorite.

Despite the stiff competition from other nominees, the Osasuna centre-back remains confident that the Atalanta man will win the award.

“I believe Lookman will win the African Ballon d’Or,” Boyomo was quoted saying by Actu Cameroon.

“He won the Europa League and he is the one who has the best chance of winning the trophy this year.”

Lookman’s nomination comes after a remarkable season that saw him emerge as Europe’s most productive attacking player in the latter stages of the 2023/24 campaign, registering 14 goal contributions (eight goals and six assists) from April onwards, more than any other player across Europe’s top five leagues.

The former Everton striker’s stellar performances reached their pinnacle in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, where he netted a historic hat-trick to crown a season that saw him amass an impressive 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.

The former Everton man has continued with his impressive form this campaign, with the Nigeria international already notching nine goals and five assists in just 16 appearances for La Dea.

Aside from his historic and remarkable Europa League exploits with Atalanta, Lookman emerged as the overwhelming favourite for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award following his 14th-placed finish at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris in October where he was the only African player nominated for the award.