Former Ghanaian international Emmanuel Agimanbadu has said Nigerian striker Ademola Lukman will win the 2024 African Player of the Year (APOTY) award despite Ghanaian star Mohamed Kudus being left out of the prestigious list. expressed support.
Lukman, who stood out for Serie A sides Atalanta and Super Eagles, caught the eye of Agiman-Bado as a strong contender for the title, and the former Udinese midfielder expressed his admiration for the Nigerian’s consistent performances.
“Without a doubt, one of my favorite players, Lookman has done an outstanding job for club and country. I fully support him winning the award.” said former Udinese midfielder Agyemang-Badu. Flashscore.com.
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Ademola Lookman‘s impact on the international stage was further demonstrated when he finished 14th in the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings, making him the highest-ranked African player in this year’s rankings. His rise in world football highlights his outstanding seasons with Atalanta and Nigeria’s Super Eagles, establishing him as one of the world’s elite players and strengthening his bid for the 2024 African Player of the Year award.
The Confederation of African Football recently shortlisted 10 candidates for the continent’s best player, including stars such as Lookman, South Africa’s Ronwell Williams, Morocco’s Achiraf Hakimi, Guinea’s Serhou Ghirassi and Chancel Mbemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The list has been released.
But surprisingly missing from the list is West Ham’s Mohamed Quddus, who scored 14 goals and provided 45 assists in 14 appearances last season. Kudus’ performance helped West Ham finish second in the Premier League and advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Although disappointing, Agyemang-Badou is optimistic about the future of Kudus. “I was hoping he would be a finalist, but there were a lot of great players who performed well in Africa last year,” he said.
“He is still young and has a lot of opportunity to be ranked among the best in Africa. He needs to stay focused, keep learning and keep growing. His time will come. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
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Agyemang-Badu further pointed out the challenges facing Ghanaian players in winning the continental honour, noting that there has not been a Ghanaian winner since Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew was named Africa’s best in 1992. Other Ghanaian players such as Samuel Kuffour, Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan and Dede Ayew were all nominated but narrowly missed out on the title.
Reflecting on the collective progress of Ghanaian football, Agyemang-Badu acknowledged the achievements of young talents such as Abdul Aziz Issah and John Antwi. Both were nominated for Interclub Player of the Year. He praised the achievements of the Ghana Football Association and Dream FC, calling them “a great achievement for Ghanaian football and especially the Ghana Premier League”.
“I am a very happy person. Ronwell Williams did a great job, any of the nominees could have won the award, but I will support the people of Ghana. Regardless of the result, I am very proud of them.” Agyemang-Badou concluded.
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