AFCON 2025: Ademola Lookman beats Mane and Diaz to 'factual' Player of the Tournament

Football data and statistics platform Sofascore has named Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman as the African Cup of Nations' Player of the Tournament, as he ranked highest in their algorithm ratings.

Lookman, 28, finished in third place in the competition with the Super Eagles. Hence, he missed out on the official CAF Player of the Competition award. However, he was statistically the standout player of the tournament.

As Pulse Sports reported, Sadio Mane won the official POTC award, edging out Lookman and Morocco's Brahim Diaz. Triumph in the competition with Senegal and an incredible show of sportsmanship in the final, in which he prevented his team from forfeiting in the face of perceived injustice, boosted his credentials for the award.

However, on a purely statistical level, his five-goal contributions (two goals and three assists) pale in comparison to Lookman's seven (three goals, four assists).

Lookman earned the highest Sofascore rating from the tournament (7.82), better than Mane's 7.31 and Diaz's 6.97. The Super Eagles ace's four assists were also the most in the competition.

Meanwhile, Lookman made the Pulse Sports AFCON Team of the Tournament for being the most productive attacker in the competition His three goals and four assists made him a constant menace to opposing defences and a perfect partner for Osimhen in attack.

Lookman’s flair, creativity, and composure stood out throughout the competition. He crowned his tournament by calmly converting the decisive penalty against Egypt to secure Nigeria’s record ninth bronze medal.