African POTY: Guinean football expert backs Borussia Dortmund ace over Lookman in key selection criteria

Guinean football expert Oumar Dieng claims that Borussia Dortmund star Serhou Guirassy is ahead of Ademola Lookman in a key selection criteria for the prestigious African Footballer of the Year.

Highlighting the selection criteria that might favor the Syli National striker, the renowned sports journalist emphasized Guirassy's superior individual performances compared to Lookman.

The 28-year-old netted 30 goals during the 2023-2024 season with VfB Stuttgart, securing a summer transfer to Borussia Dortmund, where he has already scored ten goals in 15 appearances across all competitions.

Lookman registered 27 goal involvements (17 goals, 10 assists) last season and has fourteen in the ongoing season. 

On the international stage, he was a key member of the Nigeria squad that reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was named in the Team of the Tournament. 

Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta ended Bayer Leverkusen's 51-match unbeaten run to win the Europa League final in May 2024.

Oumar Dieng emphasized that the Nigerian faces stiff competition from Serhou Guirassy in the race for the African Footballer of the Year.

"The criteria are clear. Individual performances are weighed after the collective ones. If we consider the former, the Guinean is ahead of his rival, but looking at the latter, Lookman has the edge," Dieng told ledjely.com.

"We hope that the juries will make the decision in our favor, which will bring pride to all Guineans, since we have not won this award for a long time. 

"Guirassy would then become the second Guinean after Cherif Souleymane in 1972 to win the African Ballon d'Or."

The Confederation of African Football has also named Brighton & Hove's Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Paris Saint-Germain fullback Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams (South Africa) in a five-man shortlist for the African Footballer of the Year.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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