Osimhen makes history, crowned CAF African player of the year
The Super Eagles superstar claimed the CAF gong at Monday’s awards ceremony in Marrakech after his goal glut inspired Napoli’s league title triumph last term.
Osimhen saw off challenges from Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egypt striker Mohammed Salah to land African football’s biggest individual prize.
Napoli hot-shot won the coveted prize after firing his club to a first Serie A title in over three decades.
The honour capped a remarkable year for the powerful front man who also fired Nigeria to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with 10 goals to finish as the top scorer of the qualifiers.
The Italy-based striker plundered 27 goals across all fronts as the Napoli entertainers lit up Italian football.
In doing so, the 24-year-old became the first Napoli player to finish top scorer in Italian football since Diego Maradona in 1987/88.
Osimhen is now the first Nigerian winner of the men’s award since Kanu Nwankwo in 1999 after another prolific campaign.
His goals propelled Napoli to their first Serie A crown since the days of Maradona – a triumph few predicted last summer.
And with a historic title under his belt, Osimhen’s victory was just reward after a season that demonstrated his development into one of Europe’s most fearsome No.9s.
Osimhen becomes the first Nigerian to win the coveted prize since Nwankwo Kanu won it in 1999.
The 24-year-old beat Liverpool and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and PSG and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi to the crown.
Osimhen had a remarkable 2022/2023 season, helping the Partonopei win the Serie A title for the first time after over three decades.
He scored 26 league goals and 31 in all competitions to win the Golden Boot and emerge the Serie A Player of the Season.
Osimhen also smashed several records, including the longstanding one by Liberia’s President George Weah, to become the African with the most goals in the Italian topflight.
At the 2023 Ballon d’Or, the Napoli forward was ranked 8th best player in the world ahead of the likes of Luka Modric, fellow African Mohammed Salah and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City.
