Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been named African Player of the Year for 2023, seeing off competition from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.
Osimhen played a starring role as Napoli won their first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era last season, scoring 26 goals in 32 Serie A appearances to claim the Capocannoniere trophy as leading goalscorer.
Osimhen also helped Napoli reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, though they were beaten by fellow Italian giants Milan in the last eight after being tipped for a serious tilt at the trophy.
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The 24-year-old – who has been linked with Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea as Napoli continue to struggle in the aftermath of Luciano Spalletti’s departure – received his first African Player of the Year prize at Monday’s CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech.
That made him the first Nigerian player to win the men’s award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999, with Salah and Hakimi among those he beat to the prize.
Osimhen scored the decisive goal to secure Napoli’s title in a draw with Udinese in May, and he was also named Italian Footballers’ Association Player of the Year earlier this month.
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???? #Osimhen is the Men’s player of the year. Congrats Victor!
???? #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/cmJfOZx5Fj
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) December 11, 2023
Meanwhile, Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala made it a double for Nigeria as she won the African Women’s Player of the Year award for a record-extending sixth time, having also claimed the prize in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Oshoala scored 26 goals in 37 appearances for Barca last season as they won their fourth successive domestic title, also netting once in four games for her national team at this year’s Women’s World Cup, where they lost to England on penalties in the last 16.
WHAT A YEAR, @AsisatOshoala ????
???? @CAF_Online pic.twitter.com/jLDZRAvprZ
— FC Barcelona Femenà (@FCBfemeni) December 11, 2023
