Victor Osimhen Becomes First Nigerian To Win African Player Of The Year In 24 Years

Victor Osimhen has broken the 24-year Nigerian jinx of not winning the African Player of the Year by clinching the biggest African individual football award in Morocco on Monday.

The last Nigerian to win the award was Kanu Nwankwo in 1999. Former Chelsea football star Mikel Obi was close to winning the prize in 2013 after a five-star performance in the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, but Yaya Toure won the prize.

Apart from Kanu, other Nigerian stars such as Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, and Victor Ikpeba have won the award in the past.

Related: Is Osimhen’s Time At Napoli Over?

Osimhen beat Achraf Hakimi, who was instrumental in Morocco’s semi-final finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and Mohammed Salah of Egypt, who is one of the biggest football stars in the world at the moment, to win the award.

The Nigerian striker, who finished as the highest goal scorer in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, which is scheduled to be held in Ivory Coast (AFCON 2023) by January, set a number of records in 2023, such as becoming the first African to finish as the highest goal scorer in an Italian Serie A season and the first African to win the Italian league and top scorer award in the same season. He helped Napoli win their first Italian Serie A title in 33 years.

Osimhen also beat the likes of George Weah and Samuel Eto’o to become the highest-scoring African in the history of the Serie A.

The Nigerian is on the radar of top European sides like Chelsea and Manchester United, as a summer exit from Napoli is expected.

Osimhen now joins the likes of African football legends such as Roger Milla, George Weah, Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, and more who have won the CAF African Player of the Year Award.