Nigeria and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen was named the men’s African Player of the Year at the CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Osimhen, who helped Napoli win the Italian League the previous season, defeated Liverpool’s Egypt-born Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi, the right-back for Paris Saint-Germain, to take home the top prize.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Osimhen said.
“I appreciate Nigerians for their support. I appreciate Africa for putting me on the map, encouraging me, and defending me, regardless of my shortcomings,” the 24-year-old added.
Osimhen performed admirably for Napoli last season, helping them end a 33-year drought by winning the Italian League title with 31 goals in all competitions.
Osimhen’s market value is estimated by Napoli to be around 200 million euros ($215 million).
Osimhen joined German team Wolfsburg after being noticed by scouts from Europe during the 2015 under-17 World Cup in Chile.
After being on loan to Charleroi, he eventually made a permanent move to the Belgian team. In 2019, he made his next move to the French team Lille, where he made 27 appearances and scored 13 goals.
A year later, Napoli signed him for 70 million euros ($75 million), but not before he contracted Covid-19 while in Nigeria, leading to a head injury as well as a fractured skull and eye socket.
Osimhen’s injuries prompted him to don a protective mask, earning him the moniker “masked assassin” in some media circles.
Due to his injuries, he was unable to compete in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, and Nigeria lost shockingly to Tunisia in the round of 16.
In order to qualify for the 2024 Cup of Nations, which the Ivory Coast will host starting on January 13, Osimhen scored the most goals (10 goals total).
His total included four in a 10-0 thumping of Sao Tome and Principe, which set a competition record for the largest winning margin for a qualifier.
prone to injuries Two months ago, Osimhen was again sidelined following a hamstring injury he sustained during a friendly match against Saudi Arabia.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis became enraged by the Nigerian’s frequent absences, and in response, he threatened to cut off all further African signings unless they agreed to forego the Cup of Nations.
Goalie Yassine Bounou, his teammates, and coach Walid Regragui were honoured in Marrakesh as Morocco made history last year by becoming the first African and Arab nation to advance to the World Cup semifinals.
Regragui was named coach of the year, Bounou was named custodian of the year, and Morocco’s national team was named team of the year.
Asisat Oshoala, a forward for Barcelona, achieved a feat for Nigeria by winning the African Women’s Player of the Year award for an unprecedented sixth time.
Her prior accomplishments occurred in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022. She was born in Ikorodu, which is northeast of Lagos, the commercial centre.
She had stints with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Dalian Quanjian prior to her first loan move to Barcelona turning into a permanent move four years ago. She had previously played for the Nigerian clubs Robo and Rivers Angels.
Nigeria defeated co-host Australia to advance to the 2023 Women’s World Cup round of 16, where they were defeated by England on penalties. Oshoala scored in that victory.
Photo by Nour Aknajja/BackpagePix
