Ademola Lookman is widely tipped as the favourite to clinch the Confederation of African Football Player of the Year prizeThe Nigerian striker, however, recently missed out on an African Best Player prize announced by Spanish outlet MarcaWe spotlight Marca’s ranking of the best African players from the previous season following Lookman’s surprise fourth-place finish
Ademola Lookman’s claim to being the best player on the African continent during the 2023/24 season is a sentiment many have shared. However, there are still a few who disagree.
The Nigerian forward, who is widely tipped to win the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Player of the Year award, recently missed out on being named Africa’s best player in a shortlist published by Spanish outlet Marca.
Ademola Lookman reacts during the UEFA Champions League match between Atalanta BC and Real Madrid. Image: Photo Agency.
Source: Getty Images
The Marca Top 100, which ranks the best players of the season, is compiled by a jury of over 100 former footballers, journalists, and analysts from around the world. This prestigious list sees votes cast by football experts globally.
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While it is no surprise to see Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham leading the shortlist, Lookman’s position raised some eyebrows.
According to the Madrid-based outlet, the Nigerian forward was ranked fourth among African players for the 2023/24 season, behind Mohamed Salah, Victor Boniface, and Serhou Guirassy.
This ranking is particularly surprising given Lookman’s exceptional season. Amidst scepticism and criticism surrounding Marca’s list, we turn the spotlight on the best African players as ranked by the outlet.
Best players on the African continent as ranked by Marca
Below is a table highlighting the best players on the African continent through the 2023/24 season:
S/NPlayer NameCountryClubRanking1Mohamed SalahEgyptLiverpool31st2Victor BonifaceNigeriaBayer Leverkusen51st3Serhou GuirassyGuineaVfB Stuttgart/Borussia Dortmund56th4Ademola LookmanNigeriaAtalanta65th5Ayoub El KaabiMoroccoOlympiakos76th6Odilon KossounouIvory CoastBayer Leverkusen/Atalanta78th7Pierre-Emerick AubameyangGabonMarseille/Al Qasdasiya94th
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Hakimi breaks silence on reports of him winning CAF POTY award over Lookman
Not fazed by the rankings published by Marca, Lookman will be focused on the possibility of clinching the CAF Player of the Year (POTY) award, a prize he recently acknowledged would be an honour to win.
Hakimi speaks on CAF POTY award
Henzodaily.ng in another report detailed Hakimi Achraf has spoken about the possibility of winning the CAF POTY award.
The Paris Saint Germain defender detailed it is an honour to be nominated for the prize and that winning it would only serve as a fitting reward to the hard work and consistency he has shown through his career.
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Source: Henzodaily.ng