DR Congo’s Cedric Bakambu ignores Salah, Brahim Diaz, pledges CAF POTY support to Nigerian forward

Real Betis and DR Congo versatile forward, Cedric Bakambu, has tipped Super Eagles and Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman to win 2024 African Player of the Year award, Soccernet.ng reports.

Bakambu, who is well travelled and vastly experienced was born in France and played for the French youth team before opting to switch allegiance to the Congo national team in 2015, and has played in three AFCON tournaments since then.

Lookman has taken the world by storm in the past year, constantly showing up for club and country, and capped on an exciting campaign as he claimed the 14th position in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.

The 27-year-old also made the final cut for the five nominees for the African Footballer of the Year award. He joins Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast/Brighton and Hove Albion), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/ Paris Saint-Germain) and Ronwen Williams (South Africa/ Mamelodi Sundowns).

Lookman became the first-ever player to score a hat-trick in a European final, lifting the UEFA Europa League title for Atalanta against an unbeaten Bayer 04 Leverkusen back in May.

Bakambu, on the Sporty TV show, backed Lookman to win the CAF POTY award over Salah due to his exploits so far.

“It’s difficult because now Mohamed Salah is playing very well but if I have to choose, my opinion, I’ll say Lookman, the player of Atalanta. He deserves it but after we will see.”

Lookman has been in terrific form for La Dea this season, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in twelve league games, sending Atalanta top of the Serie A.