Napoli striker Victor Osimhen won the 2023 Player of the Year award on Monday December 11, taking over from Senegal’s Sadio Mané. The Nigerian, top scorer in the Italian championship, beat Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah. In the women’s category, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala was crowned Player of the Year, while Morocco’s Walid Regragui was named Coach of the Year.
There was a touch of suspense, because Achraf Hakimi had solid arguments to prevail after his brilliant 2022 World Cup with Morocco, the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. And then there was the evergreen Mohamed Salah, the Pharaoh of Liverpool, already a winner in 2017 and 2018, and an insolent regular. But Victor Osimhen certainly made more of an impression in 2023. The Nigerian striker achieved the fine feat of finishing top scorer in Serie A, a first for an African. Above all, his goals enabled Napoli to win the championship for the first time since the Maradona era and the two scudetti (1987 and 1990).
For his fine season, Victor Osimhen was already named Serie A player of the year by his peers less than a week ago, confirming his eighth place in the latest France Football Ballon d’Or rankings.
Eight years after his Best Young Player award (2015), the former Lille player has been rewarded with the title of African Player of the Year. “It’s a dream come true for me. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me along the way in realizing my dreams and achieving my goals,” said Osimhen on receiving his award.
On the women’s side, the best player was once again Asisat Oshoala. The Nigerian wins the trophy for the sixth time, and the third in a row. The FC Barcelona striker currently has no rivals in Africa, winning ahead of South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda.
A fierce Super Falcons star, Oshoala, 29, was one of the key players in the Nigerian team that reached the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup in Oceania, before being eliminated by England on penalties. Oshoala has been racking up trophies with Barça this season, winning the Champions League as well as the Spanish Championship and Cup.