Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has described his time with the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) in Ivory Coast as a moment he would forever cherish especially being his first time at Africa’s premier football competition.
The Super Eagles forward registered three goals and provided one assist for the national side at the competition, a feat that earned him a place in the tournament's best eleven alongside two other Nigerians (Ola Aina and Williams Troost-Ekong).
He shared his thoughts about his first major competition for Nigeria with The Athletic in a recent interview ahead of Atalanta's Europa League showdown with Liverpool.
“It was my first AFCON with my country and obviously coming so close and not winning was very disappointing — but the whole experience, morale and camaraderie around the competition was amazing,” said the former Everton forward.
“We have a team that is very powerful, very strong, very fast. To be able to play that type of football with my team-mates, it was nice to be around.”
Lookman at the AFCON in Ivory Coast
The favorites tag being pegged on Nigeria didn't emerge until after the Super Eagles' round of 16 victory over arch-rivals Cameroon in Abidjan at the Stade Felix-Houphouet Boigny.
The game had ended 2-0 in favour of Nigeria with Lookman scoring twice. He was also on the scoresheet at the same stadium when Nigeria defeated Angola by a lone goal in the quarter final.
The 26-year-old, who became only the fourth Nigerian to score three times in the knockout phase of the Nations Cup, only narrowly missed out of being voted as Nigeria's best player at the competition.
He was also on hand to give the assist that led to Victor Osimhen's goal in the opening group game against Equatorial Guinea.
Lookman defines his style
At 26, the Atalanta winger has probably garnered more experience than an average English-born footballer by the virtue of adapting to different cultures. He also talked about his style of play and his preferred position.
“I wouldn’t really call myself a winger, I think a winger is someone who stays out wide, waits for the ball, and looks to take his man on — which I can do.
“But I think my game is broader: I can play inside, I can play wide, I can score goals. I can be a threat in a box, I can head the ball, I can pass and create. So, for me, I think that the wide left area is where I can best play my game,” Super Eagles AFCON star added.
It's worth mentioning that Lookman had featured for England's junior teams and won titles with these sides before the chase for conviction to switch allegiance began.
In fact, the past NFF president alluded to the process of recruiting the former Everton player as being hellish. Not only has Lookman shown why he is a credible asset to the country but he's done the same at club level for different teams.
After becoming a full blown professional, a loan spell from Everton saw him take the short trip to Germany where he featured for Bundesliga high-flyers RB Leipzig in 2018, a deal that eventually became a permanent move.
Soon after, he had more loan spells with Fulham and Leicester City before heading out of the United Kingdom. This time, it was Atalanta in Italy, where he settled in nicely.
While at Atalanta, under the watchful eyes of an individual he respects a lot: Gian Piero Gasperini, Lookman has featured 65 times so far for the club in all competitions, scoring 24 goals and providing 12 assists. The Super Eagles player's contract with Atalanta runs till 2026. L
