Why Osimhen Won CAF Player Of The Year Award, Beats Liverpool’s Salah And PSG’s Hakimi

Monday, December 11, Nigerian international and SSC Napoli star Victor Osimhen for received the prestigious CAF African Footballer of the Year breaking the 24-year-old jinx.

It wouldn’t have been fair for the continent to ignore Osimhen after his pivotal role in 2022/23 season in the Italian Serie A helping Napoli secured their first title after three decades.

Osimhen was unarguably pivotal for Napoli last season with netting 26 league goal and 32 appearances for his club.

He didn’t stop there, he helped his club reach the quarter final stage of the UEFA Champions League last season – the highest level the club have gotten to for the first time after a long time.

Osimhen’s rapid ascent to the top has frequently been attributed to his outstanding displays for the Super Eagles at different age categories.

Undoubtedly, his highly impressive performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup captured the attention of numerous European scouts. With an impressive tally of 10 goals, he clinched the top goal scorer award, playing a crucial role in leading the Nigeria U-17 squad to victory and securing the tournament championship.

As a result, he secured a transfer to Wolfsburg following his remarkable performance in the tournament.

Osimhen marked his senior debut for Nigeria in a 3–0 friendly victory against Togo in 2017. However, it wasn’t until March 2021, during an AFCON qualification match against Lesotho, that he scored his first international goal.

Although his international career is still in its infancy, the former Nigeria U-17 goal sensation has already established himself as one of the top 10 highest goal scorers for the Super Eagles, showcasing an impressive goals-to-game ratio.

Furthermore, he showcased his prowess by netting an astounding four goals in a single match against the lesser-ranked Sao Tome & Principe.

According to August statistics, he has scored 17 goals in 25 appearances for Super Eagles since his debut in 2017.