By Steve Ogah
“Life’s about challenges and turning pain into power,” Ademola Lookman, Nigeria’s phenomenal football player remarked while recollecting his recent decisive penalty miss in the UEFA Champions League and the events that followed. It remains remarkable that the highflying Nigerian forward sees frightening challenges as personal assets for rebirth, growth, and renewed strength. His on-pitch carriage and off-pitch attitude continues to serve as twin beacons of motivation to many young people in Nigeria and further afield, highlighting the potent striker as a significant role model for young people in Nigeria and elsewhere.
Ademola Lookman’s soccer journey has been shaped by a potent mix of pain, power, and inspiring success. Regardless of his professional setbacks, the Nigerian forward has exhibited a motivating capacity that highlights his ability to transcend incidents of pain. His staying power in world football is a combination of inner strength, talents, and perseverance.
In his recent past, Lookman has painted a self-portrait of bravery in his journey towards the pinnacle of football for club and country. It is unsurprising that his career for club and country has been marked by success on an individual and collective level, exceptional triumphs that have rendered him as a blossoming star destined for more accolades in the future.
Lookman remains a pillar of dependence for his teammates, often accepting huge responsibilities when others appear as trembling nerves during trying moments that call for calm. Notably, he stepped up to take the penalty against Club Brugge when the team’s dedicated penalty taker abdicated his responsibility. Although he fluffed the kick, still for many, his courage and composure under pressure remains stirring and motivating, his post-match reaction an excellent model in public relations and counter reaction.
Ademola Lookman, the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year, has carved a global brand that is associated with success even in the midst of deep pain, public disrespect, and resounding defeat. His continuing belief in himself and the support of teammates at club and country level will likely propel him from shining coast to shining coast in the years to come.
Remarkably, Lookman draws power from conquest, beauty from scars, and restorative nectars from bitter tears. In several ways, his life of pain and power has strengthened him to face whatever challenges the future may bring, the example of his life serving as a symbol of motivation, particularly to many young Nigerians and Africans. Ademola Lookman’s perspective on people and events, his mental power, and his general approach to professional turbulence will continue to inspire his admirers for a long time to come.
