If Ademola Lookman had not won the best African player award on Monday, I would have concluded that CAF is not about football but politics.
The Confederation of African Football showed transparency yesterday as reflected by the echoes of praises by the audience in Marrakesh.
Before presenting the biggest award, hand in hand with FIFA president, Gianni Infantin, the CAF President Patrice Motsepe said that all national team captains and their coaches voted and with opinions of the football world beyond Africa, the winner emerged.
Motsepe is a leader who doesn’t care about who wins despite the social media wars between Nigeria and South African football enthusiasts.
Since he came on board, Motsepe had turned a deaf ear to those who could disrupt his independence and neutrality. This is height of originality on the part of this South African unlike his predecessor Isa Hayatou.
Football politics was visible between Nigeria and Cameroon and it denied Super Eagles so many laurels both as a team and individual players in Hayatou’s time.
Very good example is the final of Maroc 88, when Henry Nwosu’s goal was disallowed against Cameroon. In Ghana/Nigeria 2000, Ikpeba’s penalty was not counted against Cameroon even when it was a goal.
Another example is Mustapha Hadji of Morocco winning CAF player of the year at the expense of Austin Okocha during the era of Hayatou.
It was an era politics was so glaring both on the pitch and in the dressing room. The consolation for Okocha then was BBC African Footballer of the year. I’m not saying there is no politics now, it’s not yet visible.
So when the hype about another Moroccan,Achraf Hakimi, began to fly, my focus was on Motsepe and of course my memory of Hayatou.
And I concluded that if truly this present CAF leadership will honour football, nothing would stop Ademola Lookman from winning the apex prize because he is miles apart in term of skills, performance and goals compare to Hakimi.
Lookman is not just a good player, he is a great footballer, (Agba baller) who has so much raised the bar not only for Africa internationals but across the globe.
Today, the Three Lions will regret not keeping Lookman. Nigeria will be happy for having Lookman and Super Eagles will be so happy for having this quality because of his originality and sense of creativity.
My only regret, he may not play in any senior world cup because Nigeria may not qualify.
He is 27, if Nigeria fails to qualify for the 2026 world cup, Lookman would be about 32 in 2030 and may have passed his prime.
Congrats to you Lukuleke.
By Kunle Awosiyan
