Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said his star striker Ademola Lookman has matured to be a world class player and it wouldn’t be out of place for him to clinch the African Player of the Year Award, scheduled for December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Lookman helped Atalanta to winning the Europa League last season with a hat-trick, he also helped the Super Eagles to a second-place finish at the African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. Lookman has picked up from where he stopped last season. Against Napoli last weekend he scored a brace in Atalanta’s 3-0 win at the Diego Maradona stadium.
“I don’t make rankings, but he has had a fantastic evolution, ” said Gaspirini
“At the moment he has grown and is among the top: when you are in the European championships you are also at world level.
“He can win the African Golden Ball, but the most important thing is his evolution and his continuity”.
Speaking in the same vein former Super Eagles striker and two-time African Player of the year award winner Nwankwo Kanu said in Brila FM chat: “Lookman is a very good player, humble, works very hard and going by the records, I believe he will win.
“I don’t know of any African player who has done better than him this year.
“He was ranked well in the Ballon d’Or (14th). He has done well for both club and country.”
