Napoli Striker, Victor Osimhen, and Barcelona Star, Asisat Oshoala made it double honours for Nigeria as they scooped up the men’s and women’s African Footballer of the Year awards respectively.
Italy-based Osimhen picked up this year’s gong at the awards ceremony in Marrakesh on Monday, beating out Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi to become the first Nigerian to claim this accolade since Nwankwo Kanu won the crown in 1999.
On her part, fellow Nigerian and Barca forward, Oshoala retained the Woman’s Best Player of the Year award to claim a record-extending sixth prize. She edged out South Africa and Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia and Shanghai Sengli’s Barbara Banda.
In breaking Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s stranglehold on the continental award, Osimhen got the better of Liverpool’s Salah and Morocco right-back Hakimi to claim his biggest individual award in African football
His compatriot, Oshoala’s runs in winning the continental accolade for the sixth time include victory in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022 competitions.
Also on the podium for an award was Super Falcons’ goaltender, Chiamaka Nnadozie selected as the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year while Morocco’s Yassine Bounou was named Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year for his impressive performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 24-year-old Osimhen, 24, scored 31 goals in 39 matches for the Italian side last season as they won their first Serie A title since 1990 while Oshoala, who is 29, scored 27 goals for the Spanish outfit in their treble-winning 2022/23 campaign as they claimed the league, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de Espana Femenina.
Going forward from the triumph, Osimhen will feature for Napoli as they take on Braga in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Oshoala’s Barca travel to Rosengard in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday.
Osimhen becomes the sixth Nigerian to win the African Footballer of the Year award and interestingly, legend Austin Jay Jay Okocha never won it.
Aside from his impeccable form earning him a place in the Serie A Team of the Year as well as the Best Striker prize, Osimhen came 8th in the 2023 Ballon d’Or ranking, becoming the highest-ranked African for the year and the most-ranked Nigerian in the history of the award.
Also earlier in December, the 24-year-old was crowned as Italian Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, becoming the first African to win the award.
Meanwhile, for his exploits with the Atlas Lions of Morocco at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) picked Walid Regragui as the men’s Coach of the Year, while South Africa manager Desiree Ellis won the women’s prize.
