President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has celebrated Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman for achieving 14th place in this year’s Ballon d’Or rankings. The prestigious award ceremony, held in Paris on Monday night, saw Manchester City’s Rodri clinch the top spot. However, Gusau expressed optimism about Lookman’s future prospects.
In a statement released to *DAILY POST*, Gusau praised Lookman for his remarkable performance and acknowledged his potential to rank even higher in future editions. “The NFF commends Ademola Lookman for this remarkable achievement. We believe he has the potential to finish much higher next year,” he stated. Gusau noted that Lookman, as the only African on the 30-man shortlist and the second-highest rated Serie A player, has already made a historic impact.
Lookman’s exceptional contributions, including three key goals during the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire that led the Super Eagles to a second-place finish, have earned him widespread recognition. At the club level, Lookman’s performances were equally striking, particularly his three-goal haul in Atalanta’s Europa Cup final win over Bayer Leverkusen.
The forward’s standout form has continued this season, with two goals for Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers and another two controversially disallowed. Many analysts now see Lookman as a leading contender for the African Player of the Year award, given his consistent performances on both domestic and international stages.
