French coach claims Liverpool star deserves African POTY award

Posted : 02 December 2024

French coach Denis Lavagne has expressed his belief that Mohamed Salah is more deserving of the African Player of the Year award than Ademola Lookman. While Lookman has been a standout performer for Atalanta and the Nigerian national team, Lavagne argues that Salah’s consistent excellence over the years sets him apart.

Lookman had a remarkable season, helping Atalanta reach the UEFA Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick to seal a 3-0 victory over Bundesliga champions. His contributions also helped Nigeria reach the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, where they narrowly lost to Ivory Coast.

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The 27-year-old has continued to impress this season, netting nine goals and providing five assists in just fifteen matches across all competitions. His performances have made him a strong contender for the African Player of the Year award.

Despite Lookman's impressive achievements, Lavagne disagreed with the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) shortlist, which included Lookman among the candidates. In an interview with *Foot Africa*, Lavagne made it clear that he believes Salah deserves the recognition over the other contenders.

The former Cameroon national team coach pointed out that Salah’s incredible consistency over the years, both with Liverpool and Egypt, makes him stand out as the best African player. Lavagne argued that Salah's long-standing excellence merits him the 2024 African Player of the Year title.

“I think Mohamed Salah fully deserves the trophy for best African Player of the Year," Lavagne stated. "Even though he wasn't shortlisted by CAF, he has done great things with Liverpool and the Pharaohs, and in my opinion, he is currently the best African player.”

Salah has continued to impress this season with his performances for Liverpool, including scoring in a recent 2-0 win over Manchester City. His ability to remain a top performer has kept him at the forefront of conversations about Africa’s best footballer.

CAF’s shortlist for African Player of the Year also included notable names such as Lookman, Ivorian Simon Adingra, South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi, and Guinean forward Serhou Guirassy.

French coach claims Liverpool star deserves African POTY award

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