Julius OkorieSuper Eagles talisman and Atalanta jinx breaker, Ademola Lookman, is from all indications, a super candidate for this year’s African footballer of the year.
The 26 year old who was a delight to watch at the last African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire despite Super Eagles failure to lift the trophy, continued his killer form with his Serie A club Atalanta in post AFCON, maintaining the same speed and delivery to the delight of his club and teammates alike.
The icing on the cake came Wednesday as he kissed the headlines of virtually all tabloids and media platforms across the globe after breaking 63 year old jinx to fire Atalanta to victory in Europa final thus handing their Italian side their first ever trophy.
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The former Everton and Chalton Athletic ace did not only break the jinx for Atalanta but also did it in style making history as the first player ever to score a hat-trick in Europa final.
What a feat that I dare predict will not be easy to replicate considering that grabbing a goal in the Europa and Champions league finals is not cheap because of the level of competition let alone grabbing a hat-trick.
Submit that Ademola has been superb for both club and country this season, and you will be perfectly correct.
Hitting three goals past Bayern Leverkusen who have remained unbeaten all season and who didn’t concede up to three goals in any match all season in all competitions until the Lookman’s magic on Wednesday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin is no mean feat.
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The feat proved bookmakers who had predicted that Leverkusen who also parade compatriots Victor Boniface and Nethan Tella would carry the day considering their unstoppable run in the season wrong.
Deservedly awarded national award of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) by the Federal Government of Nigeria, along with his Super Eagles teammates following their second place finish at the 34th AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, Lookman was the workaholic scoring a brace against Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the round of 16 and grabbing the only goal against Palancra Negras of Angola in the quarterfinal.
An elated Lookman on what could pass for a night of harvest said: “They always say third time lucky,” with a grin and the match ball tucked under his right arm.
Who could have thought that Lookman dubbed a flop at Everton way back in 2017-2019 after leaving Chalton Athletic would become a jinx breaker for Italian side Atalanta under Gian Piero Gasperini five year down the line.
Always oozing with confidence, Lookman remains optimistic of better days to come and not one to downplay the contribution of teammates in whatever achievement made.
“I’ve always had the confidence in my ability to create and score goals, to help my team-mates and assist them,” said Lookman, whose hat-trick was only second scored for an Italian side in the final of a major European competition after Pierino Prati for Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup.
One of the yardsticks for emerging African footballer of the year is performance for club and country and for the next African footballer of the year, Ademola Lookman looks set to join compatriot and reigning African Footballer of the year Victor Osimhen who clinch the title beating Morocco and PSG man Achraf Hakimi and Egypt and Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah to the second and third positions respectively in the exclusive continental big boys club.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
