The football fraternity in Nigeria is no doubt in a joyous mood following the emergence of Super Eagles attacking winger, Ademola Lookman, as the 2024 African Footballer of the Year. The dazzling winger who plays for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A overcame fierce competition from Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast/Brighton), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns) to bring immense joy to the football loving Nigerians.
Since victory normally attracts so many followers, there is no Nigerian who is not excited by this success story. Of course, having replaced Victor Osimhen as Africa’s best, there is no player who can contest the position of Super Eagles’ best player with Lookman at the moment.
Therefore, I join the world to celebrate the well-deserved recognition and elevation of Lookman who fought really hard to conquer failure that once stared him in the face. Indeed, his path to success was riddled with daunting challenges that could have easily stifled his football career.
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However, the never-say-die spirit, which is common with most Nigerians, kept him going. It was against the background of the disappointments he encountered so early in his career that Lookman made that inspiring speech shortly after he received his award as the best football player in Africa on December 16 at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco.
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Shortly after he was signed by Everton in 2017 for a whopping $14m, his coach, Ronald Koeman described him as “a player for the future,” but that prophecy seemed hasty for Lookman bumped into glitches that could have hampered his growth. In no time, he was loaned to RB Leipzig, where he eventually signed a permanent deal in 2019. He would later play on loan at Fulham and Leicester City. In fact, it was at Fulham that Lookman almost lost his promising career.
While playing in the Premier League for Fulham in 2020, he attempted a Panenka-style penalty in stoppage time against West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski but failed woefully. Fulham eventually lost the crucial match 1-0, and the costly mistake earned him serious mockery on social media and public criticism from the then manager Scott Parker. It was indeed a difficult moment for the player who must have felt so let down by his coach and the events that trailed his penalty mishap.
However, since a star can’t be hidden, Lookman kept his steeze and soldiered on to where he is at the moment. As if he remembered the hitches that almost aborted his dreams, after he took possession of his crown, the new king of African football said: “Just over four years ago, I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, and I’m the best player in Africa.
“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down to the point they break your wings. As a matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.”
Truly, it pays not to give up on one’s dreams. Lookman has proved that in life, we are bound to face some ups and downs, but when we persevere, nothing can stop us from achieving greatness. Moreover, the mark of a great man is he who falls, gets up, cleans his backside, and keeps going again.
While we celebrate Lookman, who recovered from major setbacks to become one of the best and most sought-after players in world football, we must not forget the useful lessons that can be drawn from his success story. Apart from his perseverance, he’s a level-headed young man who has not allowed his success to distract him.
Despite his increasing fame and wealth, he has stayed humble and out of trouble with his clubs, teammates, and fans alike. He is so meek and amiable that one of his teammates who also switched allegiance from England to Nigeria, Alex Iwobi said: “He motivates everyone in the team with what he does. If my brother is working hard, we have to work as hard as him or even harder.” Such is the influence of Lookman in the present Super Eagles squad.
Lookman’s success has also buttressed the fact that there is no place like home. It will be recalled that getting the immensely talented player to dump England for Nigeria was a herculean. It is on record that he rejected the offer twice because the then England manager, Gareth Southgate, was busy dangling the Three Lions’ shirt before him.
However, in late 2021, he took the decision that is pivotal to his dream of becoming one of the best athletes in the world. Unlike his friends like Tammy Abraham, Michael Olise, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and a host of others, he agreed to don the green-white-green jersey of the Super Eagles.
When he made that decision, it was like a leap in the dark. But at the moment, he is more successful than those who chose their adopted country over Nigeria. His success is made possible by the overwhelming love he enjoys from Nigerians. He is well loved by Nigerian football fans.
Maybe Lookman’s traditional attire on the night of his coronation was carefully selected to advertise his culture and show appreciation for the invaluable support he has enjoyed from everyone in Nigeria. Indeed, he completely won the heart of Nigerians, especially the Yorubas when he spoke in his local dialect to show that even as he was born and raised in England, he is a Yoruba boy flesh and blood.
Honestly, Lookman’s parents should be commended for guiding their son in the right way. Before he accepted to leave his comfort zone to come back home to play for the Super Eagles, his parents must have helped him to make the wise decision. It’s now incumbent on parents whose children are presently torn between Nigeria and their adopted countries to advise them to act wisely, for there is no place like home.
Moreover, there is no reason for any player, no matter how highly talented, to scorn the Super Eagles. Despite the poor organisation that has remained the bane of the national team, Nigeria remains a formidable force in world football. So, our foreign based youngsters should feel privileged when invited to join the Super Eagles. Any unwilling player of Nigerian origin should take a cue from the success story of Lookman.
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