Revealed: How Osimhen edged Salah, Hakimi to win CAF Player of the Year Award

Victor Osimhen’s heroics for Napoli and Super Eagles have earned him the 2023 CAF Player of the Year award(male category). He received the CAF gong award on Monday night at Marrakech after his goals inspired Napoli’s league title win the previous season.

Osimhen saw off competitions from Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egypt and Liverpool superstar Mohammed Salah to become the first Nigerian to win African football’s biggest individual prize since Nwankwo kanu in 1999.

The 24-year-old striker’s exploits with Napoli during the previous season are well-known, but his accomplishments should continue to be highlighted due to their magnitude.

Osimhen became the first player from Napoli to finish as the top scorer in Italian football since Diego Maradona in 1987–1988. He also led Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, the first since the late great Diego Armando Maradona heroically helped them win the title in 1987 and 1990.

In addition to receiving the Cappocanoniere for his efforts, the former Wolfsburg striker made Serie A African history by becoming the league’s highest-scoring player from the continent.

The honour completed an incredible year for the formidable striker, who terrorised African defenders as he led Nigeria to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with 10 goals, also becoming the highest goal scorer in the history of the AFCON qualifiers.

It’s reasonable to say that Osimhen’s win over Hakimi and Salah was merely compensation for a season in which he proved himself to be one of Europe’s finest strikers.

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