Victor Osimhen ends Nigeria’s 24-year-wait to win CAF Men’s Player of the Year

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria forward, Victor Osimhen was crowned Africa’s best player of the year at the 2023 CAF Awards in Morocco on Monday.

The Napoli forward beat the North African duo of Mohammed Salah (Egypt) and Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) to clinch the award.

The highlight of his year so far was scoring 26 goals in 32 Italian top-flight league games in helping Napoli to the Scudetto title for the first time since Diego Amando Maradona’s era for the team.

He also made the top ten list of best men’s players at the 2023 Ballon d’Or.

Osimhen emerged as the highest goal scorer at the end of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers as Nigeria made it to Ivory Coast 2023 which will be held in 2024.

The former Lille forward ended Nigeria’s 24-year wait to win the CAF men’s Player of the Year award.

The last Nigerian player to win the award was Nwankwo Kanu who clinched the award in 1999.

The likes of Austin Jay Jay Okocha, John Obi Mikel, and Vincent Enyeama have come close to winning the prize but fell short of the second and third positions.

He joined the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amunike, and Kanu to win the award.