Victor Osimhen emerged victorious at the CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco, clinching the coveted CAF Player of the Year title.
The Napoli Striker triumphed over tough competition from renowned players such as Liverpool’s Mo Salah and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi.
Osimhen’s remarkable achievements include securing the Serie A topscorer position with Napoli last season, scoring an impressive 26 goals that contributed to his team clinching the League title for the first time since the 1989/90 season. Notably, he also made history by becoming the first African to be awarded the Serie A Golden Boot and was named the best foreign athlete in Italy.
The Nigerian striker’s prowess extended to international competitions, as he finished as the leading top scorer in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers with an impressive tally of 10 goals. Despite his stellar performance, he claimed the eighth position in the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards.
This victory marks Osimhen as the first Nigerian to secure the CAF Player of the Year award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999. Additionally, his compatriot Asisat Oshoala, a forward for Barcelona, secured the CAF African Women Player of the Year Award, while Moroccan coach Walid Regragui earned the Men’s Coach of the Year accolade for his achievements with The Atlas Lions at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The list of winners also includes Morocco as the Men’s Team of the Year, Nigeria as the Women’s Team of the Year, Al Ahly as the Men’s Club of the Year, and Mamelodi Sundowns as the Women’s Club of the Year. Lamine Camara claimed the Youth Player of the Year title, Percy Tau secured the Interclub Player of the Year, Kahraba’s goal was crowned Goal of the Year, and Yassine Bounou was honored as the Goalkeeper of the Year.
