AFCON 2025: Lookman Among 4 Super Eagles Players in Hot Race With Salah, Brahim Diaz for MVP Award
- Ademola Lookman leads AFCON 2025 MVP rankings ahead of Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, and Brahim Diaz
- Four Super Eagles players dominate WhoScored’s Top 10 highest-rated list
- Lookman insists team success matters more than individual awards ahead of Algeria clash
Nigeria are not just winning at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, they are dominating it.
Four straight victories have powered the Super Eagles into the quarter-finals, but beyond the scorelines, Nigeria’s finest stars are muscling their way into the race for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
Source: Getty Images
At the centre of it all is Ademola Lookman. The Atalanta forward has been nothing short of electric in Morocco, leading a strong Nigerian contingent that includes Victor Osimhen, Akor Adams, and Wilfred Ndidi, all ranked among WhoScored’s top 10 players at AFCON 2025.
With a crucial quarterfinal against Algeria incoming, the individual brilliance is adding extra spice to an already fiery African rivalry.
Lookman sets the pace in MVP battle
Lookman currently tops WhoScored’s AFCON ratings with an eye-watering 8.81, placing the Super Eagles forward ahead of heavyweights like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Brahim Diaz, but Alex Iwobi is missing from the list.
In just three games, the 2024 CAF Player of the Year has delivered seven goal contributions, three goals and four assists, making him the most decisive player at the tournament so far.
Lookman’s performances against Tunisia and Mozambique earned him two Man-of-the-Match awards, underlining his growing influence in the competition.
Only Brahim Diaz has scored more goals, and even then, Lookman trails the Real Madrid forward by just one.
With Osimhen, Salah, Mahrez, and Ayoub El Kaabi also chasing the Golden Boot, AFCON’s individual awards are shaping into a fierce continental battle.
Nigeria dominate the MVP list
While Lookman grabs the headlines, Nigeria’s strength lies in numbers.
Source: Getty Images
Victor Osimhen sits fourth overall with a 7.61 rating after contributing three goals and an assist. Akor Adams and Wilfred Ndidi follow closely in fifth and sixth positions, both rated 7.59.
Their presence means Nigeria boasts more players in the MVP conversation than any other country, a statistic that won’t be lost on Algeria ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal showdown.
Algeria’s own talisman, Riyad Mahrez, ranks eighth, while Morocco’s Brahim Diaz completes the top ten.
Lookman shuts down personal glory talk
Despite leading the charts, Lookman remains refreshingly grounded.
Speaking after Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 Round of 16 win over Mozambique, the Atalanta winger made it clear that trophies, not titles, are his priority.
“No. Personally, I’m just thinking about the team winning,” Lookman told CAF Online.
“Now we’re in the quarterfinals, and our next opponent will be another strong team.”
As Nigeria prepare to face Algeria, a nation that knows how to derail Super Eagles' dreams, Lookman’s focus sends a clear message that individual awards can wait, history cannot.
Lookman named in AFCON R16 Best XI
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that three Super Eagles players have been named on the Beast XI of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 after the completion of the matches from January 2-6, 2026.
The Super Eagles trio of Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Akor Adams have been named in Sofascore’s team of the tournament for the round of 16.
Source: Legit.ng
