Obafemi Martins believes Ademola Lookman will be one of Nigeria’s most important attacking weapons at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with the former Super Eagles striker confident the team can compete for the title, Footynaija.com reports.
The tournament begins later this month and Nigeria head into AFCON 2025 with strong expectations after reaching the final in 2023 and returning to form under coach Eric Chelle.
Lookman’s resurgence at Atalanta has strengthened the optimism around the squad, especially with the forward scoring in back to back matches under new manager Raffaele Palladino, including a goal and an assist in the 3–0 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt and another strike in the 2–0 victory against Fiorentina.
Related Post
Martins, who enjoyed successful spells in the Premier League with Newcastle United and played in several top European leagues, said he has been impressed by Lookman’s sharpness and maturity after a challenging summer that included transfer tension and a brief spell training away from the main group at Atalanta.
“I love watching Ademola Lookman play, he is so quick and unpredictable in the final third. He is so calm like most professionals and focused on the job,” he told a Per Second News correspondent in Abuja.
The retired forward added that the current Super Eagles have enough quality and hunger to challenge for the trophy in Morocco, highlighting the mix of attacking threats available to Chelle.
“With him, Osimhen, and the rest of the team, I see them going far in Morocco,” he said.
Martins also stressed the importance of learning from recent disappointments, including the World Cup qualifying setback earlier in the year.
“The players understand the task at hand and they cannot allow the past setback to be an obstacle in the Nations Cup. They understand the job and they know what is at stake,” he added.
Nigeria begin their group stage campaign later this month with high expectations and a frontline that looks ready to deliver, led by an in form Lookman whose performances under Palladino have come at the right time for both club and country.
