Nigerian football star Victor Osimhen has been crowned the African Best Player of the Year 2023 in a ceremony held at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Super Eagles striker, who plays his club football for Italian giants Napoli, beat off competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah to claim the prestigious award.
Osimhen’s impressive form for Napoli, where he helped the team to the Serie A title with 26 goals, was a key factor in his success. He became the first African player to win the Pichichi (top scorer) award in Italy, surpassing George Weah’s record.
Prior to the 2022/23 season, Napoli had not won the Scudetto for 33 years, since the days of the legendary Diego Maradona. Osimhen’s goalscoring exploits were instrumental in ending that drought.
Osimhen was named to the Serie A Team of the Year and won the Best Striker award. He also finished ninth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or, the highest ranking for an African player this year and the highest-ever ranking for a Nigerian footballer in the history of the award.
Earlier in December, Osimhen became the first African player to win the Italian Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award.
The video below shows the moment the CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, announced Osimhen as the African Best Player.
