Breakout star soars for Super Eagles

ABIDJAN — Ademola Lookman has stolen the limelight from star man Victor Osimhen on Nigeria's run to the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals, with the former England youth international scoring all their goals so far in the knockout stage.

While reigning African footballer of the year Osimhen has not found the net at the tournament since the Super Eagles' opening 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea, Lookman bagged a brace in the 2-0 win over Cameroon in the last 16, and followed that with the only goal in the 1-0 victory over Angola in the quarterfinals.

Nigeria may need Lookman to extend that run against South Africa on Wednesday, with Osimhen a major doubt for the game, suffering with an abdominal problem.

Most analysis of Nigeria has focused on Osimhen's lack of goals, as well as the approach adopted by coach Jose Peseiro, who has successfully put the emphasis on not conceding.

"I have chosen another strategy. The players believe in it — don't concede goals, because we will score at least one," Peseiro said in one press briefing in Abidjan.

His side has kept four straight clean sheets en route to the semifinals, following a switch to a three-man central defense.

Within that strategy, the 26-year-old Lookman is the game-changer right now, and has quickly made it impossible for Peseiro to drop him.

It's no mean feat, considering the formidable depth available to Nigeria in attack, with AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho and the veteran Ahmed Musa kicking their heels on the bench.

Lookman might never have started a game, but for an injury to Victor Boniface which ruled the Bayer Leverkusen forward out just before the tournament began.

Yet, there is a sense that every Nigeria player is pulling in the same direction as it sets its sights on winning a fourth Cup of Nations crown for Africa's most populous country.

"We are behind each other. We don't take anything for granted. I think that shows in our work ethic, how we fight for each other, how we defend, how we attack," Lookman said after collecting the award for man of the match against Cameroon.

Settled at Atalanta

He was not part of the Nigerian team that bowed out in the round of 16 at the last AFCON in Cameroon in 2022, but that was the year big changes happened in Lookman's career.

The Nigeria Football Federation had already been trying for some time to get London-born Lookman to change allegiance, despite having represented England as a youth, just like Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses had done previously.

He eventually made his debut in a decisive World Cup qualifying playoff against Ghana in March 2022 and has not looked back.

"Both of my parents are Nigerian and my two older sisters were also born in Nigeria. So I was the only one of us to be born in England," he told British newspaper The Guardian in 2021.

Lookman began his career at Charlton Athletic, but was in the Premier League with Everton by the time he played in the England team that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 alongside the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke and Fikayo Tomori.

He has since played for RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City, but is now flourishing at international level, and he appears to be in the best form of his career.

A move to Italy to sign for Atalanta in August 2022 has been key, as he quickly settled and scored 15 goals in his first season.

Lookman has added seven more so far in the current league campaign, and playing under Gian Piero Gasperini for one of Serie A's best sides has helped him become established in the Nigeria side.

"I definitely have a defensive role, to help the team within the structure, but that defensive role also allows me to attack," Lookman told The Times in an interview last year.

"Italian football is known for structure ... They're so drilled on structure here."

From Bergamo to Bouake, where Peseiro's well-drilled team faces South Africa, Lookman is aiming to take a step closer to adding the AFCON title with Nigeria to that Under-20 World Cup winner's medal he picked up in the colors of England.

AFP