Ademola Lookman: Steady Steps Up the Ladder 

An African player may not have been among the top-three players to mount the stage for the Ballon d’Or on Monday Night in Paris. However, Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman made an appreciable impact at the French capital’s showpiece after he emerged 14th among the 30 nominees ahead of established players like Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Declan Rice. The Atalanta forward was indeed the only African player listed

on Monday night, the cream of the football world was focused on just one place-Paris, where the 2024 Ballon d’Or awards took place and among the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious award was just an African, represented by a Nigerian, Ademola  Lookman.

The Atalanta forward was ranked 14th in the Ballon d’Or awards, and his Italian club immediately took to social media to congratulate Lookman posting, “14th place for Mola: proud of you Ade.”

Lookman’s impressive performances for club and country led to his nomination for the prestigious award.

His hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen was a highlight of his season and his contributions to Nigeria’s AFCON campaign further solidified his reputation as one of Africa’s top talents.

He may not have matched Victor Osimhen’s 8th-place finish from last year, but Lookman is now a strong favourite for the CAF African Footballer of the Year award in December.

Meanwhile, President of Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has commended Lookman for finishing in 14th place in this year’s Ballon d’Or race, saying he believes the petite forward has what it takes to finish much higher in the race next year.

Lookman finished 14th in this year’s contest which gala was held in Paris on Monday night, and which was won by Manchester City ace Rodri.

“The NFF commends Ademola Lookman for his feat and we believe he has the potential to finish much higher next year. He was already a winner before Monday night’s gala, as the only African on the 30-man shortlist. He was also the second highest-rated Italian Serie A player in the race.

“We encourage him to continue doing his best for club and country, and the sky will be the limit for him,” Gusau said.

Lookman scored three important goals for Nigeria as the Super Eagles finished in second place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year and then scored all three goals in the Europa Cup final as his Italian club, Atalanta, routed German top side Bayer Leverkusen.

This season, he has remained within the goals/assists frame for club and country. He has scored two goals for Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualification race.

Most pundits see him winning this year’s Africa Player of the Year award. If that happens, it will be the first time that a Nigerian has picked the continental gong from a fellow Nigerian, since Victor Ikpeba took over from Nwankwo Kanu in 1997.

Interestingly, former Ghanaian international, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has expressed his support for Lookman to win the African Player of the Year award.

The former Ghanaian midfielder was particularly impressed with Lookman’s performances for both club and country.

“Without a doubt, one of my favourite players, Lookman, has been outstanding for both his club and country. I fully support him to win the award,” Agyemang-Badu told Flashscore.

While disappointed that Mohammed Kudus was not included in the 10-man shortlist, Agyemang-Badu acknowledged the strong competition and the potential for Kudus to shine in future years.

“He’s still young and has plenty of opportunities to be crowned Africa’s best. He just needs to stay focused, keep learning, and continue growing. His time will come – it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lookman was nominated in the top 10 alongside compatriot, Trost Ekong, for the CAF award.

Lookman revealed he always felt a strong pull to Nigeria even when he played for England.

The 27-year-old started his international career with the Three Lions of England, representing the youth team at several tournaments, playing at the UEFA U-19 Championships, the U-21 Euro tournament, before winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017 alongside Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Despite his success with the English youth team, a call-up to the senior team never came and he chose to represent the Super Eagles of Nigeria in 2022, when he was 24-years-old.

The Atalanta man revealed it wasn’t an easy decision, as he always felt torn between two worlds, but remained thankful for the love he’s been shown by the Nigerian community.

“I’ve always been Nigerian. I’ve always been in touch with Nigeria, with the group of people and the culture. They were very welcoming, very loving and took me in as one of their own. For me it’s a dream and an honour to be here, to be able to have that badge on my chest.

“I’ve always kind of had two personalities on and off the pitch. Off the pitch, I’m very reserved, don’t really speak much but on the pitch, I have the fire, I’m still trying to achieve, and to do more. I’m never really satisfied. That’s always my mindset, to always go for more,” the former Everton man said in an interview with BBC Africa.

Meanwhile, West Ham United have expressed their interest in Lookman and are said to have held internal discussions about the possibility of signing the player.

Lookman enjoyed an impressive 2023/24 season at Atalanta, netting 17 times and registering 10 assists across all competitions. The Nigerian has started the new campaign in a similarly rich vein of form, contributing to four goals in just four Serie A starts.

Inevitably, such a sustained run of excellent performances has prompted a number of clubs to monitor the former Fulham man. West Ham have emerged as potential suitors, with the Hammers eager to further boost Manager Julen Lopetegui’s attack. After a series of largely unsuccessful spells at various English clubs, Lookman has finally settled in his career, joining Atalanta in a €15 million deal in the summer of 2022. Enjoying 15-goal and 17-goal seasons in each of his first two years in Northern Italy, the 27-year-old capped off an outstanding couple of campaigns with an iconic Europa League final Whether Lookman would be willing to switch Champions League football for a return to his home city remains to be seen, but the Hammers are certainly interested in