Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta winger, has etched his name into the history books as the fourth Nigerian player to score three or more goals in the knockout stages within a single edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Lookman achieved this milestone by securing the decisive goal in the Super Eagles’ hard-fought 1-0 victory against Angola on Friday night. The 26-year-old had previously netted a brace in Nigeria’s Round of 16 triumph over perennial rivals Cameroon the previous Saturday.
This accomplishment places Lookman alongside the likes of the late Rashidi Yekini, who was the first Nigerian to achieve this feat at the AFCON 1994 finals in Tunisia. Former midfielder Austine Jay Jay Okocha joined the elite list during the 2004 edition hosted by Tunisia, and Odion Ighalo matched the feat five years ago in Egypt.