Ademola Lookman Speaks Ahead of First Super Eagles Game Since Winning 2024 CAF POTY Award
- The Super Eagles of Nigeria are wrapping up their preparations in Kigali to face Rwanda on Friday
- Nigeria face must-win games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier
- Ademola Lookman has spoken ahead of the game, his first since winning the CAF POTY in December
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Ademola Lookman has shared his thoughts on the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Rwanda on Friday, his first since winning the 2024 CAF Player of the Year Award.
Lookman was crowned the African Footballer of the Year after an impressive year for Atalanta and Nigeria, topped by his hat trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League final.
Source: Twitter
He is back with the national team for the first time since then with Nigeria facing huge games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifier.
The Super Eagles have to win both games to keep their hopes of making it to that tournament in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico alive.
Nigeria are in a precarious position having picked up just three points from the opening four games and currently sit fifth in Group C only ahead of Zimbabwe.
Eric Chelle will be the third manager to coach the team in the qualifiers and his main aim is to turn around the campaign after Jose Peseiro and Finidi George failed to secure a win in four games.
Lookman speaks ahead of Rwanda
Reigning African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman is expectedly one of the 23 players Chelle invited for the crucial games, his first duty with the national team since November.
Source: Getty Images
He won the CAF Awards in December at an event in Rabat, Morocco and since then the team has not converged.
Speaking after the team's second training session in Kigali, he admitted he is not pressured to play his first game as the African best but is focused on the huge task ahead.
"No, no any pressure at all. I'm just glad to be back with the squad, back with the guys. We have a big task ahead of us and we’re looking forward to it,” he told OJB Sports.
Chelle reportedly had series of meetings with the players before holding the first training session yesterday, which happened behind closed doors.
Lookman did not divulge the full details of the meetings and first session but confirmed they were to understand how the manager wants them to play.
“We've had lots of meetings, about how the manager wants us to play, gameplan, the aspects of how we'd defend and attack, it's all positive and we have keyed into his ideas,” he said.
“We've had our second session today and yesterday's session went well as well, so positive feelings.”
Like I said, we had meetings before the game, how the manager wants us to play and we've just implemented that today, keying into his ideas,” he concluded.
4 players to watch out for
Legit.ng analysed four Super Eagles players to watch out for as Eric Chelle prepares the squad for his first game in charge of the team since taking over in January.
Former African Best Victor Osimhen and current Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman are the top two key players for the manager in the huge task ahead.
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Source: Legit.ng
