Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Angola not the toughest 2023 AFCON opponents – Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman

Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has reflected on his experience at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, revealing the most challenging match he encountered during the tournament, Soccernet.ng reports.

Under the guidance of Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro, the Nigerian national team made it to the final of the AFCON tournament for the first time since 2013.

Impressively, the former Leicester City forward scored three goals and provided one assist during the tournament held in Cote d’Ivoire, making him the highest scorer in the team.

Expressing his joy over his contribution to the team, Lookman revealed that he was happy to have helped the team with talent, but the squad was impressive in general.

“[I was] very happy obviously, being an attacking player you always want to help the team in that way. So yeah, [I] was very glad. [I] was happy to do that. But the team was amazing and everybody helped out,” he told Calister Enejele.

Recalling the tough encounters faced by Nigeria, the 26-year-old pointed out that the most difficult game for him was the opener against Equatorial Guinea. He emphasized the challenging conditions, particularly the intense heat and humidity they had to contend with during the match played at 2 pm.

“Probably Equatorial Guinea because we played at 2 pm, the heat and humidity was tough for us. Probably you have to say that game,” Lookman remarked.

Looking ahead, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on the Banyana Banyana of South Africa and Benin Republic in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in June. Lookman will be hoping to continue contributing to the team’s success as usual.