Ademola Lookman: former Everton and Fulham striker voted African participant of the yr | Soccer information

Ademola Lookman was named African Participant of the Yr 2024 on Monday on the Confederation of African Soccer awards in Marrakech.

Zambia’s Barbra Banda has been named African Participant of the Yr after a profitable yr with Orlando Pleasure the place she scored the successful objective towards Kansas Metropolis to make sure her crew received the primary ever NWSL championship.

Lookman, a former Everton and Fulham striker, received the boys’s title forward of Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, Brighton and Ivory Coast winger Simon Adingra, Guinean Serhou Guirassy and South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

His award follows a powerful marketing campaign which noticed the 27-year-old rating a hat-trick as Atalanta received the Europa League closing towards an unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in Could.

His three targets on the Africa Cup of Nations additionally helped Nigeria attain the ultimate in Ivory Coast the place they have been overwhelmed by the competitors hosts.

Lookman turns into the seventh Nigerian to win the award and succeeds final yr’s winner, Victor Osimhen.

The Nigeria worldwide has endured a tricky time throughout his closing days within the Premier League. His Panenka penalty try in stoppage time in 2020 towards West Ham, which was simply caught by Lukasz Fabianski, stays notorious as Fulham misplaced 1-0 and have been subsequently relegated that season.

Referring to the low level throughout his successful speech, Lookman stated:

“A little bit over 4 years in the past, I failed in entrance of the world. 4 years later, I’m the most effective participant in Africa.

“To the younger kids and folks watching this, do not let your failures weigh you down a lot that you simply break your wings. Flip your ache into energy and preserve flying.”

AFCON winners Ivory Coast have been named the boys’s nationwide crew of the yr whereas Nigeria received the ladies’s award.