CAF Awards: FCT chairman Mouktar Mohammed backs Victor Osimhen for accolade

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) FA chairman, Adam Mouktar Mohammed has made a case for Victor Osimhen as the African Player of the Year, saying that he deserves to win the CAF 2023 award.

Osimhen is among 30 players who made the cut for the top prize for the Awards Gala scheduled for Dec. 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The 24-year-old made history as the first Nigerian to be nominated and finish in the top 10 in the male category in 24 years, after clinching eighth position in the 2023 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings

The Napoli forward also made the cut in the top 30 nominees for FIFA The Best awards.

However, Mouktar noted that other factors could count against the Nigerian at the CAF awards.

“I think he has done enough to win the Africa Player of the Year Award. He deserves it, especially after finishing 8th on the Ballon d’Or list,” he told NAN.

“Osimhen was in fine form in the 2022/23 season, as his 26 league goals helped Italian football royalty Napoli to their first Seria A title in 33 years.

“He pipped Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao to clinch the Best Striker in Serie A gong.

“Osimhen scored five times in six games for Napoli as they reached the quarterfinal stages of the UEFA Champions League.

“The World Cup tournament is seen as the biggest platform and Nigeria couldn’t qualify for the showpiece in Qatar.

“Osimhen’s greatest challenge may likely come from Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi who won a title with his club and went all the way to the World Cup semi-finals with his country, which is massive.

“Then there is also Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez who won the treble with Manchester City, including the English Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.

“You also have to consider the sharp regional divide and vested interest. The Anglophone and Francophone dichotomy has always been in existence, so that is another factor from the political angle.

“But having said that, I still strongly believe that what Osimhen has achieved is incredible and he deserves to win it.”