Nigeria win big at CAF Awards
Victor Osimhen, Asisat Oshoala have been crowned men’s and women’s African Player of the Year winners at the just ended Confederation of African Football (CAF) awards.
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 CAF Player of the Year following his heroics for his country and club.
The Super Eagles superstar claimed the CAF gong at Monday’s awards ceremony in Marrakech after his goal glut inspired Napoli’s league title triumph last term.
Osimhen saw off challenges from Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egypt striker Mohammed Salah to land African football’s biggest individual prize.
Napoli hot-shot won the coveted prize after firing his club to a first Serie A title in over three decades.
The honour capped a remarkable year for the powerful front man who also fired Nigeria to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with 10 goals to finish as the top scorer of the qualifiers. The Italy-based striker plundered 27 goals across all fronts as the Napoli entertainers lit up Italian football.
In doing so, the 24-year-old became the first Napoli player to finish top scorer in Italian football since Diego Maradona in 1987/88.
Osimhen is now the first Nigerian winner of the men’s award since Kanu Nwankwo in 1999 after another prolific campaign.His goals propelled Napoli to their first Serie A crown since the days of Maradona – a triumph few predicted last summer.
And with a historic title under his belt, Osimhen’s victory was just reward after a season that demonstrated his development into one of Europe’s most fearsome No.9s. [Source: CAF]
Nigerian icon Asisat Oshoala has been named CAF’s Women’s Player of the Year for a record sixth time after inspiring Barcelona to Champions League glory.
The 29-year-old striker beat South African Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda to retain her crown at Monday’s awards gala in Marrakech.
Oshoala was Barcelona’s top scorer last term, plundering 27 goals across all competitions as the Spanish giants clinched a domestic double. Her goals helped Barca retain their Primera Division title and overcome Lyon to lift the Champions League in Turin.
And Oshoala – the first African player to hit three World Cups – also wrote her name into Spanish football folklore. She became the first female player to receive the award for highest goalscorer in the Spanish top flight after notching 20 league goals.
That astonishing campaign for high-flying Barcelona saw Oshoala reign supreme again on the continental stage 11 months on from her last triumph.
The veteran striker now moves clear of fellow Nigerian Perpetua Nkwocha with six total wins – more than any other African in history. Oshoala’s goals have lit up women’s football in 2022 at both club and international level over the past 12 months.
And her remarkable consistency was rewarded with another individual prize to sit proudly alongside five previous African Women’s Footballer of the Year titles.
