Former Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo has told CAF to hand Atalanta hero Ademola Lookman the African Player of the Year award, Soccernet.ng reports.
Lookman had a game to remember when Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the final of the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday evening. He singlehandedly destroyed a Bayer Leverkusen side that have remained unbeaten throughout the campaign. Lookman scored twice in the first half and added one more in the second to make it 3-0 for La Dea and grant them their first European title in over 60 years.
The 26-year-old forward also became the first-ever player to score a hattrick in the Europa League final.
Following his superb performance for Atalanta, compatriot Kenneth Omeruo has stirred a bit of controversy, as he shared a social media post, telling CAF to give Lookman the Player of the Year award.
@CAF_Online your African Player of the year.. @Alookman_ top player
— Kenneth Omeruo (@omeruo22) May 22, 2024
Victor Osimhen won the award last year, ending Nigeria’s long wait. But this year, the Super Eagles star has struggled with Napoli.
Does Lookman deserve the CAF POTY?
Lookman has had decent campaign with Atalanta. He has played a key role for La Dea this season. In the Serie A, he has recorded nine goals and six assists in 29 appearances. In the Copa Italia, Lookman registered one goal and one assist. And in the Europa League, the Super Eagles star registered five goals and one assist in eleven games.
This year, the top African players have not performed at their optimum levels. Osimhen has struggled with injuries and Napoli have been abysmal this season. Boniface has been great at Bayer Leverkusen with 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games. Unfortunately, he was injured for almost half of the season. Meanwhile, Mohammed Salah actually had an impressive season with Liverpool, registering 25 goals and 14 assists in 44 games. He also helped the club to the EFL Cup.
In recent years, the winner of the POTY has always been decided by whoever wins the biggest trophy. The AFCON went down this year, but no Ivorian player has actually done well outside of the AFCON.
As it stands, the major contenders for the AFCON are Boniface, Salah, and Lookman. But Lookman has the biggest achievement, winning Atalanta’s first European title in over 60 years. What makes it even more special is because he made history, scoring three goals in the final.
Boniface also won Bayer Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title. Recall that he was also the Rookie of the Season in Germany. Salah won the EFL trophy, but the competition is not highly regarded.
So, who do you think deserves the CAF Player of the Year award?