MARRAKESH – Napoli’s Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen was named men’s African Player of the Year on Dec 11 during a ceremony organised by the Confederation of African Football in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Osimhen, who led Napoli to the Italian Serie A title last season, beat Paris Saint-Germain’s Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi and Liverpool’s Egypt winger Mohamed Salah to the top award.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Osimhen, 24, said. “I appreciate Nigerians for their support.
“I appreciate Africa for putting me on the map, encouraging me, and defending me, regardless of my shortcoming.”
He excelled last term for Napoli, after scoring 31 goals in all competitions and helping them win Serie A after a drought that lasted 33 years. The club estimate Osimhen’s market value at approximately €200 million (S$289 million).
He was spotted by European scouts at the 2015 edition of the Under-17 World Cup in Chile and joined German outfit Wolfsburg. He was loaned to Charleroi and later joined the Belgian club permanently. He then moved in 2019 to French side Lille, where he scored 13 league goals in 27 appearances.
Napoli signed him one year later for €70 million, but he contracted Covid-19 during a visit to Nigeria and later suffered a head injury and a fractured cheekbone. Those injuries led him to wear a protective mask and sections of the media called him the “masked assassin”.
He missed the African Nations Cup in 2022 in Cameroon due to the injuries, and Nigeria suffered a shock last-16 loss to Tunisia.
Osimhen was the leading scorer with 10 goals in qualifying for the 2024 Nations Cup, which the Ivory Coast will host from Jan 13.
His total included four in a 10-0 rout of Sao Tome e Principe – a record winning margin for a qualifier in the competition.
Osimhen was sidelined again two months ago after suffering a hamstring injury in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia.
The regular absences of the Nigerian angered Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis, who reacted by saying he would stop signing Africans unless they agreed to skip the Nations Cup.
Morocco in 2022 became the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup semi-finals and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, his teammates and coach Walid Regragui were honoured in Marrakesh.
Bounou was named Goalkeeper of the Year, Regragui Coach of the Year and Morocco the National Team of the Year.
Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala completed a Nigerian double by winning the African Women’s Player of the Year for a record-extending sixth time.
Born in Ikorodu, north-east of commercial capital Lagos, her previous successes came in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
After playing for Nigerian clubs Robo and Rivers Angels, she had spells with Liverpool, Arsenal and Dalian Quanjian before an initial loan move to Barcelona became permanent four years ago.
Oshoala scored in a win over co-hosts Australia that helped Nigeria reach the 2023 Women’s World Cup round of 16, where they lost to finalists England on penalties. AFP
