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African Ballon d’Or: Nigerian Lookman Crowned Ahead of Hakimi
Ademola Lookman, who notably scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final with Atalanta Bergamo, has claimed the prestigious award for the first time in his career.
Ademola Lookman succeeds Victor Osimhen as the African Ballon d’Or winner. The Nigerian forward from Atalanta Bergamo, a finalist in the most recent Africa Cup of Nations and the architect of a historic hat-trick in the Europa League final last May, was awarded the title of African Player of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Monday.
Hakimi Falls Short in Marrakech
Lookman, aged 27, ranked 14th in the global Ballon d’Or standings and recently scored in the Champions League against Real Madrid (2-3). He edged out PSG’s Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi—who had hoped to clinch the title at home in Marrakech under the watchful eye of his club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi—as well as Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, VfB Stuttgart then Borussia Dortmund), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast, Brighton), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns).
During the ceremony, AS Monaco’s Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara (20 years old) was named Best Young Player, while Zambian forward Barbara Banda took home the Women’s Ballon d’Or. Ivory Coast’s Emerse Faé, who led his team to an African championship in a thrilling tournament, was unsurprisingly named Coach of the Year.