CAF POTY: Ex Cameroon Coach Snubs Lookman, Picks His Deserved Winner
- Ademola Lookman is the leading contender to win the African Footballer of the Year Award in two weeks' time
- The Super Eagles forward had a remarkable year for Atalanta and Nigeria, helping each team reach a final in 2024
- A former head coach of the Cameroon national team has named a player who deserves it more than Lookman
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Ademola Lookman is the favourite to win the 2024 CAF Men's Player of the Year Award, but a former coach of an African national team has named another player who deserves it.
Lookman stepped up big since joining Italian Serie A club Atalanta in the summer of 2022 and has been a different player under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
Source: Getty Images
He helped the Bergamo-based club win the UEFA Europa League, scoring a hat trick against the unbeaten German Bundesliga champions in their only loss of the season.
The versatile attacker also helped the Super Eagles reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals, but fell short against Ivory Coast in the final.
Ex-Cameroon coach picks CAF POTY
As with every individual award, there were controversies when the nominees list was announced, particularly with the omission of Victor Boniface and Mohamed Salah.
A French head coach who managed the Cameroonian national team, Denis Lavagne, has added to the controversy by claiming the deserved winner was not even nominated.
“Even though he was not shortlisted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), I think that the Egyptian Mohamed Salah fully deserves the trophy for best African Player of the Year, ”Lavagne told Foot Africa.
“He has done great things with Liverpool and with the Pharaohs. In my opinion, he is currently the best African player.”
As noted by Transfermarkt, Salah scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists for Liverpool last season. This season, he has 13 goals and 11 assists under new manager Arne Slot.
The list was reduced to five, with Lookman, Serhou Guirassy, Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams left in contention.
Boniface snubs Lookman for CAF POTY
YEN.com.gh reported that Victor Boniface overlooked Ademola Lookman and revealed his choice for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award ahead of the official nominees' announcement.
However, the Bayer Leverkusen star’s preferred candidate failed to make the shortlist, prompting him to rally behind his fellow countryman to claim the prestigious honor.
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Source: Legit.ng
