Super Eagles Star Ademola Lookman Explains Why He Performs Differently at AFCON
- Ademola Lookman has opened up on why he stepped up for the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations
- Lookman has been the best player at AFCON 2025, his second appearance at a major tournament for Nigeria
- He was named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2023 edition after helping the Super Eagles reach the final
Ademola Lookman has opened up on why he steps up differently for the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations after another impressive outing at the tournament.
Lookman is featuring at his second AFCON for Nigeria since he switched his international allegiance to represent the Super Eagles in 2022.
Source: Getty Images
His first major tournament was the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire, during which he scored three goals and provided one assist to help Nigeria reach the final.
Lookman had a troubled 2025 because of his transfer saga at Atalanta, but amidst the ups and downs, he arrived in Morocco as a different player.
Lookman explains AFCON form
Super Eagles star Lookman has explained the reason behind his form at AFCON after another impressive start to the 2025 edition in Morocco.
“I get the opportunity to represent my country, and I know how much weight that bears. So I try to use that pressure and try to perform,” he said, as quoted by CAF Online.
In three matches at AFCON 2025, he has scored three goals and provided four assists, taking his tally in two editions at the tournament to six goals and five assists, as noted by Transfermarkt.
He has been the best player so far at AFCON 2025 and is on course to win the Player of the Tournament if Nigeria has a deep run and he keeps up his performance.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year is one of the players Eric Chelle looks up to as Nigeria faces Algeria in the quarter-final on Saturday, January 10, 2026.
The manager has overseen a renaissance in the Super Eagles and has impressed Nigerians with the way the team plays football, and hopes winning the tournament will reward it.
Source: Getty Images
Lookman's spat with Victor Osimhen looks to upset the balance of the team, but the incident has been resolved, and the team remains focused.
The team arrived in Marrakech on Thursday, January 8, 2025, and will continue their preparations for the match against the Desert Foxes at Grande Stade de Marrakech.
Another incident that the team is managing is the unpaid match-winning bonuses for the games so far at AFCON, which has threatened the harmony of the team.
However, the NFF has assured that the bonuses will be settled so that the team will focus on the match ahead.
Mikel praises Ademola Lookman
Legit.ng reported that Mikel Obi praised Ademola Lookman as one of the best Super Eagles stars at AFCON as the team progressed through the knockout stage.
The former Super Eagles captain also praised Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi and captain Wilfred Ndidi as the other players with immense contributions.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
