Napoli and Super Eagles’ star forward, Victor Osimhen, has won the coveted title of 2023 CAF African Player of the Year.
News About Nigeria reports that with this accomplishment, Osimhen becomes the first Nigerian player to win the prized award since Nwankwo Kanu did it in 1999.
The 24-year-old football sensation defeated stiff competition from other top contenders, such as Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi of PSG and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah of Liverpool.
Napoli’s achievement in winning the Serie A title for the first time in more than thirty years was largely attributed to Osimhen’s outstanding 2022–2023 performance.
With 26 goals in the league and 31 goals overall in all competitions, his brilliant goal-scoring ability earned him the Golden Boot and the Serie A Player of the Season title.
In addition, the Nigerian striker broke a number of milestones, most notably overtaking President George Weah of Liberia to become the most goalscoring African in the Italian top division.
At the 2023 Ballon d’Or, Osimhen was named the eighth best player in the world, surpassing players like Bernardo Silva of Manchester City, Luka Modric, and Mohammed Salah.
Osimhen’s football journey commenced at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. His exceptional performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup caught the attention of VfL Wolfsburg, leading to a pre-contract commitment in January 2016, with his official joining of the club scheduled for January 2017.
After making his senior international debut in June 2017, Osimhen further demonstrated his talent at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. The talented striker’s accolades also include winning the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which greatly aided Nigeria’s victory.
President Muhammadu Buhari conferred upon him the title of Member of the Federal Republic on May 29, 2023, in recognition of his exceptional services to Nigerian football.
