Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala From Nigeria Clinch African Best Player Awards
Victor Osimhen, the prolific striker for Napoli, secured the title of African Men’s Player of the Year after an outstanding season.
Osimhen, who notched up an impressive 26 goals, dominated the Serie A scoring charts and played a pivotal role in Napoli’s triumph, ending a 33-year drought for the Italian title.
This achievement makes him the first Nigerian player to claim the honor since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
At the awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, Osimhen expressed his gratitude, saying, “It is a dream come true. I have to thank everybody who has helped me on this journey, and all Africans who have helped to put me on the map despite my faults.”Liverpool’s forward Mohamed Salah and Paris Saint-Germain’s Moroccan wing-back, Achraf Hakimi, were the other two final nominees in the men’s category.
Meanwhile, Asisat Oshoala, the skilled Nigerian forward, made history by securing the African Women’s Player of the Year for an unprecedented sixth time. Despite overcoming injuries, Oshoala played a crucial role in Nigeria’s journey to the last 16 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Her goal in the group stage win over Australia marked her scoring in a third consecutive World Cup.
Oshoala, who also claimed the Women’s Champions League and Spanish title with Barcelona, beat competitors Thembi Kgatlana and Barbra Banda to secure the award.Morocco’s men’s national team was recognized as the Men’s Team of the Year, acknowledging their thrilling run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
Their manager, Walid Regragui, was honored as the Men’s Coach of the Year. On the women’s side, Nigeria secured the Women’s Team of the Year award, with Desiree Ellis of South Africa winning the Women’s Coach award for the fourth consecutive time.The awards, decided by a panel comprising the Confederation of African Football (Caf) technical committee, African journalists and broadcasters, as well as head coaches and captains of national teams and leading African clubs, celebrate the outstanding achievements in African football.
Credit the guardian