Ademola Lookman Dominates AFCON 2025 with 7 Goal Contributions, Outshining Mané and Díaz

Ademola Lookman Dominates AFCON 2025 with 7 Goal Contributions, Outshining Mané and Díaz

Ademola Lookman has been nothing short of sensational for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, emerging as arguably the most influential attacking player in the competition so far. Through the Super Eagles’ first knockout phase match and group stage fixtures, Lookman has directly contributed to 7 goal involvements (3 goals and 4 assists), a tally unmatched by any other player in the tournament so far, with rivals like Brahim Díaz and Sadio Mané trailing on four goal contributions.

At the heart of Nigeria’s dynamic attacking play, Lookman’s contributions have come in key matches. In the round of 16 against Mozambique, he opened the scoring in the 20th minute before orchestrating the rest of Nigeria’s goals. He provided the assist for Victor Osimhen’s first goal shortly after and again set up the Super Eagles’ third goal early in the second half. He capped a superb performance with a third assist late in the game to Akor Adams, helping Nigeria to a commanding 4–0 victory that sent them into the quarterfinals. His influence was so decisive that he was named Man of the Match in that clash.

Earlier in the group stage, Lookman also made a major impact. In Nigeria’s 3–2 win over Tunisia, he was involved in all three of Nigeria’s goals, scoring one of them and playing a key role in helping secure qualification to the knockout rounds. His composed finish and general creativity gave the Super Eagles an edge in one of the tournament’s more enthralling matches.

A combination of good finishing and chance creation sets him apart. It’s also worth noting that Lookman’s performances earned him recognition among the Best XI of the Group Stage, highlighting his consistent excellence across matches.

Across just a handful of games, Lookman has already cemented himself as perhaps the standout playmaker at AFCON 2025, and his numbers suggest he could be a serious candidate for Player of the Tournament if he maintains this form.