FORMER Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has urged Ademola Lookman to raise his performance levels ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, insisting that Nigeria will need the Atalanta forward at his very best if the team is to challenge for a fourth continental title.
News Point Nigeria Sports reports that the tournament, scheduled to run from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, will see the Super Eagles attempt to add to their previous triumphs in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
Lookman, named the 2024 African Player of the Year, is expected to play a critical role in Nigeria’s campaign—but his form in 2025 has raised concerns.
Despite his brilliance at club level last season, Lookman has endured a difficult year with the national team, going 10 straight games without a goal in 2025. The dip came amidst off-field turmoil at Atalanta following a blocked transfer attempt during the summer, which affected his early-season rhythm.
Speaking in an interview with SportsCasting, Yakubu said that while Lookman remains one of Nigeria’s most technically gifted attackers, his recent performances in the World Cup and AFCON qualifiers indicate the need for improvement before the tournament kicks off.
“It’s just a shame we didn’t see the best of Ademola Lookman in qualifying,” the former Everton and Portsmouth striker said.
“He is a very good player, but things have been difficult for him at club level. I hope he gets back to his best before AFCON so that he can help us.”
Yakubu noted that Nigeria missed the dynamic winger’s influence in recent qualifying matches.
“For the games we played, we really missed him because he was not the Lookman we know. Football has ups and downs, but he is another really important player for the team,” he added.
Lookman appears to be rediscovering his spark, contributing three goals in his last two matches for Atalanta in all competitions. He scored and assisted in the club’s 3–0 Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 5 and followed it with a well-taken goal in a 2–0 Serie A win over Fiorentina.
His return to form offers renewed hope for both Atalanta and the Super Eagles coaching staff, who expect him to reproduce the type of performances that saw him score three goals at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, where Nigeria finished as runners-up after losing 2–1 to the hosts in the final.
