Napoli’s star striker, Victor Osimhen, added another feather to his cap as he was crowned the Italian Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his performance with the Neapolitans last season, News About Nigeria reports.
The award ceremony, held on Monday night, also recognised excellence across various categories, including Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year, and Goal of the Season.
Osimhen’s contribution of 26 goals played a big role in Napoli securing their first Scudetto in 33 years.
This achievement has not only earned Osimhen international recognition within Serie A but has also resulted in nominations for prestigious awards such as the FIFA Best and Ballon d’Or.
He was included in the Serie A Team of the Year alongside players like Mike Maignan, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Andrea Bastoni, Theo Hernández, Stanislav Lobotka, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Nicolo Barella, Rafael Leão, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Despite facing challenges at the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign and battling with recent injuries, Osimhen has maintained an impressive goals-per-game ratio, scoring six goals in ten appearances during the first 14 games.
Osimhen, previously awarded the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, has continually showcased his prowess on the international stage.
Having made his senior international debut in June 2017 and participated in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, he currently holds the fourth position in the all-time highest goalscorer list for the Nigeria national team.
Recognising his outstanding contributions to football, President Muhammadu Buhari honoured Osimhen with the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) title on May 29, 2023.
Furthermore, in the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony held in Paris, France, Osimhen secured the eighth spot, making history as the first Nigerian to break into the top ten of the prestigious award.
Victor James Osimhen was born on December 29, 1998, and is renowned as one of the best strikers globally.
