Sébastien Haller, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winner, has chosen Simon Adingra over Ademola Lookman for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year Award. Lookman, a star for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, is nominated alongside Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Serhou Guirassy, and Ronwen Williams.
Lookman had a great season with Atalanta, winning the UEFA Europa League and scoring a hat trick in the final. Despite this, Haller believes his fellow Ivorian, Adingra, deserves the award.
Speaking to SportyTV, Haller said, “I don’t know how the voting will go. There are many factors to consider. Guirassy scored a lot of goals for his European club, but struggled with his national team. Lookman had a great season with his club and a good tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations. But if I have to pick, it would be Adingra. He had a solid season, helped his team win the Africa Cup of Nations, and I spent time with him during the tournament as we both dealt with injuries.”
Haller also mentioned that Lookman and Guirassy were key players for their teams, but Adingra’s AFCON win set him apart. Haller hopes an Ivorian player wins the award.
Meanwhile, Lookman continues his strong form, helping Atalanta beat Cagliari 1-0 on Saturday.